I told that I didn't want to be a bus driver but have a career in GA while being interview for a Commonwealth Flying Scholarship .
The two Captains on the interview panel were not impressed.
But having 4 bars on your shoulders can help. I had to do some swift talking at Athens to be allowed OFF the airport as the two of us were wearing jeans and collared t-shirts and not in uniform. The reasoning behind the Security was that aircrew don't crew aircraft in jeans and t-shirts.
We had planned to wear our uniforms from Athens down through the Middle East to Oz.