It seems like you're starting from the assumption that this is a gotcha question, and if you don't look ambitious you'll be immediately disqualified. That's not

It seems like you're starting from the assumption that this is a gotcha question, and if you don't look ambitious you'll be immediately disqualified. That's not always the case (and if it is the case, I would question if either the recruiter is just kind of clueless and has no idea what skills are actually important for the job, or the company/team have some unsustainable or unhealthy idea of what to expect from their employees). As a hiring manager, personally if I ask a question like this I am genuinely just interested in figuring out what your priorities are and getting to know you. What motivates you, how do you approach your work, and what do you view as your strengths? Depending on the existing makeup of the team, I may be looking for different things at different times in terms of who would be the best fit. But I definitely don't want a team entirely composed of people who are all unhappy in their current role and all looking for a promotion. Yes, maybe they'll all work hard but it can easily backfire too. Maybe it will tend towards a hyper competitive environment with a lot of big egos and interpersonal conflicts. Or maybe people will start checking out or leaving the company if they don't feel challenged in their roles or don't feel that they have the impact they want. It's true that you also don't want to seem lazy. Don't say something like "I'm just looking to clock in and collect a paycheck". But as long as you seem interested in the company and in doing solid work, you really don't need to have ambitions of becoming a manager or beyond.