Tiram, another option is to go ahead & apply for Cabin Crew, then move accross to something more relevant as & when the opportunity arises.
For example, after a period of time, you might ask around to try and get into the Flightdeck Training dept, or even Ops or Crewing. It's all been done at my airline.
Obviously I wouldn't make your intentions too clear at the interview!
I agree with Floaty, a smaller airline might make it easier for you to move accross to another dept, but get what you can.