Should you bring iced coffee to a job interview? New Jersey weighs in

Should Job Candidates Bring Iced Coffee To Interviews

We talked on the show this week about the viral TikTok debate over whether it's appropriate to show up for a job interview with an iced coffee in hand.

It seems like everyone is sipping on pumpkin spice iced coffee these days, but would you really bring one to a job interview?

Photo by Lala Azizli on Unsplash

Read More: How coffee-obsessed is New Jersey? Here’s where the Garden State ranks

Job recruiter Caitlin Wehniainen went on TikTok and said she's noticing more and more Gen Z job candidates are showing up for interviews with iced coffee, which she says is not a good look. It's too "casual," and she's urging people not to bring it on while interviewing for a job!

The internet was split, with some people saying bringing coffee was completely fine, while others were adamant that you should never walk into a job interview carrying a drink.

So we asked our listeners what they thought, and the response was pretty clear: Don't bring the coffee!

Job Interview Etiquette, Settled

Ryan said, "I wouldn't hire someone who brought iced coffee to an interview. It tells lots about their sense of entitlement."

Kristen said, "No one should be bringing any coffee or drinks into a job interview. The only thing that you may carry in is your resume."

Carol agreed, saying, "No. You don’t bring food or drinks to an interview. No, no, no." 

Joe added, "It's so weird."

And Lisa, who told us she works as a recruiter, says she would consider it unprofessional as well.

So if you're getting ready for a job interview and wondering whether you should grab that iced pumpkin spice latte on the way, our listeners had a pretty clear answer: Leave the coffee in the car.