Is it unprofessional to bring iced coffee to a job interview? Gen Z is being dragged for it

The debate has divided the internet and generations, with some saying that bringing a beverage to a job interview projects an unserious attitude, and others defending their right to remain caffeinated.

Some say it projects an unserious attitude. But others defend their right to caffeine

Natalie Stechyson · CBC News

· Posted: Sep 23, 2026 11:26 AM EDT | Last Updated: 18 minutes ago

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The list of acceptable items to bring to a job interview might include, but isn't limited to: your CV, your portfolio, your winning personality, your best foot forward.

But what about your iced latte? That's the debate currently raging online after a job recruiter recently called out Gen Z for showing up to corporate interviews "with iced coffee, iced latte, in hand" in a now-viral TikTok video.

In the video, which has been viewed more than 420,000 times since it was posted last week, U.S. recruiter Caitlin Wehniainen says she believes showing up with an iced beverage comes across as too casual, "like it's just a stop in your list of errands for the day."

"It looks like you went to Target, then you went to Starbucks and now you’re stopping by your interview before moving on to the next thing," Wehniainen said.

"Don't just waltz into your interview all casual with an iced coffee. It just looks like you didn't have time to finish your coffee beforehand."

The video has divided generations and the internet, with some agreeing that bringing a beverage to a job interview is unprofessional and others defending their right to remain caffeinated.

"It's not about the f--king coffee,"someone posted on Threads. "It's about reading the room, being able to be part of a community and society, compromise, and tolerate discomfort," they added.

It's about basic etiquette, someone else commented on Reddit.

"Arriving at an interview with a beverage for only yourself would be just as impolite as if the interviewer were drinking coffee but didn’t offer you a beverage," they added.

Conversely, how a company reacts to a beverage is a litmus test, others argued.

"In 2026 being YOU is a competitive advantage, and any environment that tries to micromanage something as small as whether or not you brought coffee to an interview is NOT a place you will thrive," marketing professional Zoë Hartsfield wrote on LinkedIn Tuesday.

"No wonder 58 per cent of Gen Z has a side hustle or runs their own company."

WATCH | How did the Gen Z job market get so bleak?:

How did the Gen Z job market get so bleak?

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Gen Z graduates between the ages of 15 and 24 are facing the highest unemployment rate the country has seen in decades, apart from the pandemic. CBC's Paula Duhatschek breaks down what’s behind the surge and what it could mean for a whole generation of Canadians.

Generational divide?

The iced coffee debacle isn't the first time Gen Z has been dragged over etiquette and other so-called soft skills. Last year, the term "Gen Z stare" entered the lexicon, which describes the "blank, expressionless" look that the younger generation gives to older generations, particularly in customer service settings, according to Know Your Meme. 

And like the "Gen Z stare," some argue the iced coffee debate touches on deeper issues, like how young adults and teens are coping with the lingering effects of COVID-19 lockdowns while facing the worst youth unemployment rate in decades and having to navigate AI's impact on entry-level jobs and recruitment processes.

• The 'Gen Z stare' mocks youth for staring into the void, but is anyone laughing?

• As more teens turn to AI for emotional support, experts say it's no substitute for human connection

Gen Z largely came of age during the isolation of the pandemic, tend to prefer digital communication and report higher rates of anxiety than previous generations. Recent surveys have shown that some managers are hesitant to hire younger workers, citing a lack of soft skills like communication and collaboration.

But is the younger generation really bringing iced coffees into job interviews?

Allison Venditti, a Toronto-based human resources expert, says she can count on one hand the number of times it has happened to her, and that's no different to how often it happened 15 years ago.

"We just have TikTok to hear about it now," Venditti, founder of Moms at Work, an advocacy group for working mothers, told CBC News.

"Most folks, Gen Z or otherwise, take the recruitment process seriously and come well prepared and do a great job."

WATCH | Is the Gen Z stare for real?:

Is the ‘Gen Z stare’ for real?

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According to a recent debate on TikTok, Gen Z has been blankly gazing into the middle distance instead of speaking, especially when interacting with older generations. CBC’s Ashley Fraser breaks down how real this phenomenon is and what could be behind it.

Is there a middle ground? 

That said, Venditti says she does have some iced coffee horror stories, like the time someone brought one in to an interview and accidentally dumped it all over themselves and their papers.

"We spent about 15 to 30 minutes cleaning it up. We also had to find a new room to do interviews as it was sticky. It was awful for all involved," she said.

But maybe there's a middle ground, others argued.

If you do bring an iced beverage into a job interview, don't swirl it around, slurp, put it on the interviewer's desk or hold it in your right hand, since that will make it wet when you shake hands, says Benjamin Chipman, a branding and marketing specialist based in New York City.

"You maybe have one sip that you get to take throughout the entire interview, because that is your opportunity to think a little bit when they are asking you a question," he said in a video posted to LinkedIn.

Which is better than responding with a Gen Z stare, some might argue.

Regardless, the short answer to whether bringing an iced coffee into an interview is unprofessional, is "yes," Venditti says.

"Would you bring a sandwich? No? Then don't bring that, either."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Natalie Stechyson has been a writer and editor at CBC News since 2021. She covers stories on social trends, families, gender, human interest, as well as general news. She's worked as a journalist since 2009, with stints at the Globe and Mail and Postmedia News, among others. Before joining CBC News, she was the parents editor at HuffPost Canada, where she won a silver Canadian Online Publishing Award for her work on pregnancy loss. You can reach her at natalie.stechyson@cbc.ca.