The Viral Debate About Iced Coffee At Job Interviews Is Splitting The Internet

The debate shows a clear generational divide between Gen Z and, well, everyone else.

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When you head into a job interview, you likely check to make sure you have certain things: a pen, a notepad, a copy of your CV, perhaps business cards.

One thing you shouldn’t bring in? An iced coffee or an iced latte, according to TikTok user caitlinrecruiter, who posted a now-viral video about the topic. Caitlin is a self-described corporate recruiter for Fortune 500 companies.

In the video, Caitlin said many of her Gen Z applicants bring iced coffee into job interviews, making the interview seem “just like a stop on your list of errands for the day”, and the move “looks a little too casual to me”.

The remedy, she said, is having your iced coffee before or after your job interview – just not during.

The internet is having a strong reaction to this video, with some people agreeing that, yes, this is an unprofessional move. Others squarely disagree, saying it’s a generational difference between Gen Z and older generations, with one social media user saying it’s an example of hiring managers “turning into the boomers you hated”.

Generational differences aside, it is unprofessional to bring a coffee (whether hot or iced) into a job interview, according to Diane Gottsman, a national etiquette expert and founder of the Protocol School of Texas.

“When you go into a job interview, you are there for a job interview. You’re not there to snack. You’re not there to have coffee,” Gottsman said.

“The focus is to make a good first impression, and that means walking in competently, extending your hand for a handshake,” Gottsman noted.

While you can’t control someone’s........

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