Is it appropriate to show up for a job interview with an iced coffee in tow? 

The question has divided social media since last week when a TikTok video posted by recruiter Caitlin Wehniainen gained traction.

In the video, Wehniainen, who has 16 years’ experience in recruitment and works primarily with Fortune 500 “super buttoned-up corporations,” says Gen Z job candidates should stop bringing iced coffee to their interviews.

“It looks like you went to Target, then you went to Starbucks, now you’re stopping by your interview, then you’re onto the next thing,” Wehniainen says. “It looks a little too casual to me.” 

Wehniainen’s stance sparked a slew of opinions and more than 5,000 comments on the post itself:

Additionally, the post prompted countless response videos from other social media creators — and even led to some comedic takes. 

A sketch by @ariisaysso highlights the potential absurdity of a job candidate who brings iced coffee to an interview:

Entrepreneur asked Vicki Salemi, a career expert at Monster with 15 years’ experience in corporate HR and recruiting, to weigh in on the contentious iced coffee debate.

“Traditional interview etiquette has generally been to arrive without a drink,” Salemi says.

She doesn’t recommend candidates show up with their beverage of choice, but she also doesn’t think walking in with an iced coffee or other (non-alcoholic) drink should disqualify someone automatically.

The candidate’s demeanor, communication , preparation and engagement with interviewers reflects their suitability for the role — not the cup in their hand, Salemi notes.

Source link