Will bringing an iced coffee to an interview cost you a job offer?
Author, Jemma Crew, Daniel Thomas
Role, BBC business reporter
Published 5 minutes ago
Reading time: 3 minutes
Would you bring an iced coffee to a job interview?
The question that's been a hot topic online this week, like many online topics, originated from a TikTok video.
Caitlin Wehniainen, an American recruiter, says: “Don’t walk into an interview with a glass of iced coffee and nonchalantly. It will look like you didn’t have time to finish your coffee beforehand.”
This is what her Gen Z job seekers are doing, she says, warning that it can make the interview "just one more stop in a series of errands you have to run that day."
The post sparked what Wehniain called "the Great Iced Coffee Debate of 2026."
Some people think it's a no-no to show up to an interview with an iced matcha latte in your hand. They thought it was unprofessional, casual and disruptive.
Others think this is an overreaction and ignores how difficult it is to find a job today—or even get an interview.
Weinian later posted a clarification on LinkedIn, saying she "never said bringing coffee makes someone a bad job candidate."
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"My focus is just to avoid causing disruption."
Hanad, 28, works for an energy supplier in London. He likes iced coffee but won't bring one to an interview.
"The most important thing in a job interview is the first impression. Anything can make an employer not want to hire you," he said.
"Iced coffee is something that many teenagers drink...it looks immature and too informal."
For the same reason, he wouldn't bring an energy drink to a job interview. However, he sees no problem in bringing water or hot coffee.
His colleague Tsvetina, 24, believes candidates should not be judged based on what they bring to an interview, or even how they dress.
“I think we need to move away from these traditional corporate culture ideas,” she says. “What really matters is what the person said during the interview.”
Aisha, 28, said she would bring an iced coffee. "I think that means I arrived early and still had time to buy an iced coffee."
She won't bring soda, though.
Overall, she believes many employers want to see personality in job candidates. "This will make you stand out from other people who come (apply) for the job."
Katy, 25, works as a personal assistant in the events industry. She said she wouldn't show up to a job interview with a cup of iced coffee.
But she believes the controversy surrounding Weinian's post "is a little sexist because it's usually the girls who drink iced coffee."
"If it was hot coffee - which is a more masculine drink - there wouldn't be so much discussion."
Young people trying to find their first job are facing multiple challenges.
The number of job vacancies for university graduates in the UK has almost halved in the past year as employers cut entry-level roles, switch to artificial intelligence and cope with rising costs.
About 1 in 8 people aged 16 to 24 are neither in education, employment or training - these people are called NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training).
Young workers in the United States are also facing a tight job market, and hiring is slowing down.
"A little flippant"
Lucy Cooper is the founder of London-based design and brand recruitment agency Spark.
She said the marketing industry she works in right now is "really tough" and she doesn't know of any Gen Z job seekers who would risk going into an interview with an iced coffee.
She says it can make people "seem like you're too relaxed and a little flippant, like you're not serious enough; or it can look like you're interviewing the employer, rather than the other person interviewing you."
"I think job seekers in entry-level positions know very well not to do anything that might jeopardize their chances of getting hired," she said.
However, she added that if the employer offers coffee, there is no problem for job seekers to accept it; drinking coffee during a video interview is also okay.
Dan Craddock, director of recruitment firm Hays, said employers should not rely on "short-term judgement".
“It’s important not to read too much into a single item a candidate brings to the interview.”
"Whether it's a cup of iced coffee, a bottle of water, or a notebook, what employers ultimately evaluate should be the skills, experiences and behaviors that will make a person successful in the position."
