Could an iced coffee freeze you out of the job market?

Would you bring an iced coffee to a job interview?

The question on the internet's lips this week started life, as many do, in a TikTok video.

"Don't waltz into your interview all casual with an iced coffee, it just looks like you didn't have time to finish your coffee beforehand," said US recruiter Caitlin Wehniainen.

It's what her Gen Z job candidates are doing, she said, warning it makes it look like the interview is "just a stop on your list of errands for the day".

The post has started what Wehniainen calls the Great Iced Coffee Debate of 2026.

Some believe turning up with an iced matcha latte in hand is a cardinal sin. They say it's unprofessional, too informal, and a distraction.

Others feel this is an overreaction - distracting from how difficult it is to secure a job - or even just get an interview in the first place.

In a subsequent LinkedIn post, Wehniainen says she "was never saying that bringing coffee makes someone a bad candidate.  My point was simply about avoiding distractions."

(BBC article continues)

Back in the day when I was recruiting for an IT consultancy I would have been horrified if an interviwee had turned with a take away coffee.
I am also surprised by some of the comments in the article (and elsewhere).  If the job market is tight then I would expect an applicant to work towards meeting the expectations of the interviewer who is probably older with their own expectations.

My personal view, again. 

In a previous employment (financial services, office based), I did a bit of recruitment interviewing of applicants.  If any of them had turned up with a takeaway coffee, I would have been startled, thinking "they're not taking this seriously".


CfN. 

One of the interesting "first impression" things an interviewer gets is to whether the interviewee has read (and followed) directions in the invite for interview.  I never did it, but I can quite imagine asking in the call for interview for someone to arrive with a drink for [him/her] and for the interviewer (mine is a long Americano without milk or sugar, medium strength).  A key marker at interview is whether any directions / suggestions have been noted and followed.

Hmm. 

That rather reminds me of at least two occasions, many years ago now, on which I (inadvertently, honest!) flooded the coffee machine at grahame's hotel, in breaks during meetings there.  I was just trying to 'top up' my preferred cappuccino into my existing mug, rather than using a fresh one for the measured dispense.

However, it all worked out rather well in the end: despite my mistakes, I am now an admin on this forum. Sorry about that.     

CfN. 

That rather reminds me of at least two occasions, many years ago now, on which I (inadvertently, honest!) flooded the coffee machine at grahame's hotel, in breaks during meetings there.  I was just trying to 'top up' my preferred cappuccino into my existing mug, rather than using a fresh one for the measured dispense.