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.”
