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

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

Would you take an iced coffee to a job interview?

The question circulating online this week began, as so many do, with 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.

She said that was what her Gen Z job candidates were doing, warning that it can make the interview seem like “just a stop on your list of errands for the day”.

Her post has sparked what Wehniainen calls the Great Iced Coffee Debate of 2026.

Some argue that arriving with an iced matcha latte in hand is a major faux pas. In their view, it is unprofessional, too casual and distracting.

Others say that is an overreaction, and that it distracts from how hard it is to get a job - or even an interview - in the first place.

In a later LinkedIn post, Wehniainen said she “was never saying that bringing coffee makes someone a bad candidate.

“My point was simply about avoiding distractions.”

Hanad, 28, works for an energy supplier in London. He likes iced coffee but says he would not take one to an interview.

“A job interview is all about first impressions,” he says. “Anything can deter the employer from employing you.

“Iced coffee is something a lot of teens drink… it would look immature and too informal.”

Hanad says he wouldn't take an iced coffee to an interview

He says he would never bring an energy drink for the same reasons. But water or a hot coffee would be fine.

His colleague Tsvetina, 24, believes a prospective employee should not be judged by what they bring to an interview, or by their dress code.

“I think we should be moving away from these traditional corporate stigmas. What matters is what the person is actually communicating during the interview.”

Aisha, 28, says she would bring an iced coffee. “I think it shows that I have come early enough to get iced coffee.”

She says she would not bring a fizzy drink, though.

More broadly, she thinks many employers like to see personality in a candidate. “It makes you stand out from other people who are coming [applying] for the job.”

Katy feels there is a sexist element to the controversary around Wehniainen’s post

Katy, 25, a personal assistant in events, says she personally would not arrive at a job interview with an iced coffee.

But she sees the controversy around Wehniainen’s post as “a bit sexist, because it’s usually girls who drink iced coffee”.

“If it was a hot coffee, which is more masculine, there wouldn’t be a discourse about that.”

Young people trying to get their first job are facing several hurdles.

The number of graduate vacancies in the UK has almost halved in the past year, as employers cut entry-level roles in favour of AI and struggle with rising costs.

Around one in eight people aged 16-24 are not in education, employment or training - so called Neets.

Young workers in the US are also finding it difficult in a tight jobs market, external as hiring slows.

Lucy Cooper is the founder of Spark, a design and branding recruitment company in London.

She says her industry - marketing - is very difficult at the moment, and she does not know of any Gen Z candidates who would risk turning up to an interview with an iced coffee.

You could “seem too relaxed and a little bit flippant, like you’re not taking it seriously enough, or you are interviewing the employer rather than the other way round”.

“I think people at junior level are very conscious about not doing anything that could jeopardise their chances,” she says.

She adds that it would be fine to accept a coffee offered by the employer, however, or to drink one during a video interview.

Dan Craddock, director at Hays, says employers should not depend on “snap judgements”.

“It’s important not to read too much into a single item a candidate brings to an interview.

“Whether that’s an iced coffee, a bottle of water or a notebook, employers are ultimately assessing the skills, experience and behaviours that will make someone successful in the role.

Chris Mason, co-founder of Intelligent People - a specialist recruitment agency for the tech industry, says focusing on ice coffees alone “does seem to be an overreaction on the US recruiter’s part”.

He advises candidates to “try to do everything possible to project the right image and attitude”.

He warns that bringing snacks or specialist drinks may weaken the impression candidates want to make - that they are “serious and focused on the interview”.

He says the main issue they see with some younger candidates is a lack of preparation, not being punctual, and not researching the role, organisation or interviewer.