Is it OK to bring your iced coffee with you to a job interview? That was the question posed by recruiter Caitlin Wehniainen on TikTok in February — and it’s sparked quite a bit of debate on the platform, months later. “My Gen Z candidates are showing up to their interviews with iced coff ee, iced latte in hand and here’s how I perceive that as a recruiter with 16 years of experience that deals with mostly Fortune 500 super buttoned-up corporations,” she starts her video. “It is perceived, from my opinion, my hiring standpoint, that when you show up with an iced coffee or an iced latte, that this interview is just like a stop on your list of errands for the day,” she continues, explaining that it comes off like the applicant went to Target, then Starbucks and is now “stopping by” their interview before crossing off the next thing on their list. “It looks a little too casual to me,” Wehniainen adds. “And again, this is like your perception of how you’re perceived in this 30 to 45 minutes that you have to interview.” She advises applicants not to “show up with iced coffee or the iced latte.” “Save that for well before the interview or after the interview,” she says. “Go and get one. But don’t like waltz into your interview all casual with an iced coffee. It just looks like you didn’t have time to finish your coffee beforehand.” The recruiter’s video went viral, garnering hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok, X and Threads, where people are either firmly on the recruiter’s side or strongly against it: “But an interview IS just a stop in my day. It’s not my whole day.” “I’m shocked by the comments. I agree with this take.” “This iced coffee discourse is hilarious. Bringing water to an interview makes sense. Bringing an iced coffee absolutely does not.” “i hate corporate omfg why do we have to pretend we aren’t human???” “Yall are complaining but there’s absolutely no reason to bring your coffee into a 30 min to 1 hour interview.” “Another recruiter POV here. If you can show up early or on time with the iced coffee you’re already showing good time management.” While some TikTokers have been duetting the original video to criticize Wehniainen, others have posted videos to support her point. One creator, @ariisaysso, performed a skit of a Harvard graduate bringing an iced coffee into an interview, highlighting the issues the beverage could pose in a professional setting. Influencer and actor Franchesca Ramsey says the “iced coffee discourse is a perfect example of the literacy crisis,” reminding folks that Wehniainen said she works with “Fortune 500 companies that are especially buttoned up,” and that this context matters. “Most of the people that are upset are not applying for jobs at Fortune 500 companies,” she adds. “Most of y’all are not the audience for this content because she wants these people to be hired because then she makes money. She’s not telling y’all this to say that Gen Zs are lazy or stupid or unemployable.” What do recruiters think? Wehniainen says she “hates attention” but she appreciates that this discussion could help people who want to get a job in the corporate world, so she’s leaning into it. “My professional advice is: Don’t do that,” Wehniainen, who works closely with job-seeking candidates, tells TODAY.com. “It’s almost like, ‘Why wouldn’t I do that? That’s just a normal thing,’ and it’s like, ‘No, that’s not so normal,’” she adds. “There are social expectations and norms, a certain decorum to follow. Whether or not we like it, it exists, and it’s a little bit of a structure to adapt to when you’re getting your first job.” Felicia Akunwafor, a recruiter in Southern California with 15 years of experience, says many issues plague corporate workplaces and their interview processes, and iced coffee is certainly not at the top of the list. “I think this is a nonissue,” Akunwafor tells TODAY.com, adding that interviewees regularly face racism, misogyny, ageism and fatphobia, among other issues. “There are just so many things we have to deal with.” Akunwafor says, in her experience, a candidate, Gen Z or not, has never brought iced coffee or any other food other than water into an interview with her. “But if someone came in with an iced coffee, my first thought, instinctively, would be that they were probably in a rush,” she adds. “Maybe, subconsciously, I would think that they were maybe a little unprepared.” Akunwafor says, ultimately, it all depends on context. For instance, are you putting a wet drink on her desk? Or are you just carrying around a coffee thermos? “Everything is about perception,” she explains. “The interviewer wants to be perceived as the most important thing that you have to do today, and you can think that that’s stupid, and maybe it is, but that’s a fact of life. If you do think it’s stupid, maybe that’s not the job for you.” This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: Hot Pockets Got Rid of Their Crisping Sleeve Years Ago — and People Are Just Noticing This Seasonal Habit Promotes Healthy Aging and May Reduce Dementia Risk in Older People Is Taylor Swift’s ‘Cleveland!’ About Who We Think It Is? Definitely This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less