AIBU to think takeaway iced coffee at interviews is unprofessional?

An interviewee is effectively a guest, and the interviewer is their host. A guest does not bring their own fancy drink. That’s just rude.

I wouldn’t take one to an interview but if I was interviewing it wouldn’t bother me if someone had one

This is my favourite thread ever. I’ve had a shit week and this has made me cry with laughter

I think it's rude to eat and drink in company without offering it around. Thus, in a job interview it is lacking good manners. It is also not being focussed fully on the interview.

Allow enough time before hand to feed yourself. Show work places that you are good at time management.

Don’t think I’ve ever burped

It comes as the person isn't fully focussed on the interview and isn't that interested in the job?

But you can tell whether someone is focused on the interview or is interested in the job from the interview! How does whether they take a sip of coffee indicate that they don't want the job? How is it different to having a sip of water? How is it different to having a sip of coffee at any other meeting? Madness!

I'm not an interviewer but if I was ....

It wouldnt make me reject the candidate entirely because of it, but it would raise an eyebrow, metaphorically speaking. And they'd then have to be a really good candidate to have me put that eyebrow back down if you know what I mean.

If I was torn between two candidates who were equally as good then I'd probably end up going with the one who caused me the least concern.

As an interviewee you just don't know what you're up against, and I'd want to ensure the smoothest cleanest possible running chance at the job.

Turning up with what is essentially a snack just suggests "this interview isn't a priority for me, I am squeezing you in in, I am a very busy person...."

At least following this whole conversation, everyone now knows that there are some people who wouldn't like it if you take an iced coffee into an interview, so the professional thing to do is not to bring any drinks just in case the interviewer is one of those people?

A lot of people do have to make an excuse to miss work to go to an interview though and have meetings directly before, they may effectively be missing lunch for it. Obviously this isn’t ideal but it’s a way of life

Of course. But I am still not convinced the answer to is to eat or drink your snack during the interview.

A cereal bar or quick sandwich in between keeps you professional for all your meetings that day.Obviously this isnt ideal either for that one day, but as you say, it is a way of life.

No, it would make me think that they're unable to go for a short while without self indulgence. That's what these takeaway drinks are. It'll be a big cup with a straw and rattling with ice. A bottle of water is fine, because that's about hydration.
It's habitual and they haven't changed a habit for an interview.

Really? That's strange. Not a judgement on you!

No and I’m not saying you should be eating in an interview definitely not, but I wouldn’t judge someone if I saw they were whilst waiting or it looked like they had grabbed a sandwich on route to eat after. It’s not bad for it to look like they were fitting the interview into a busy day rather than making it the only thing they had on that day

No. You usually get offered a glass or bottle of water at all the interviews I’ve been too. When it was 35 degrees I downed two bottles 🤪

No I wouldn't judge someone for eating before ir after an interview either.

I thought the discussion was about eating/having a snack during an interview , sorry if I missed something there.

People don’t get tea and coffee breaks anymore ime. You get a lunch break and that’s it. So no.

I’m a very senior solicitor and it wouldn’t bother me. But then I do enjoy a drink!

Ditto. Since joining mumsnet it has become abundantly clear that my idea of what being a 'professional' entails is wildly out of whack with the majority, despite me being (on paper at least) the archetypal professional myself. If an interviewee plonked a bottle in Famous Grouse on the table then yeah, I'd mark them down for it (single malts are far superior), but a drink that you'd not bat an eyelid at in an office normally? Couldn't care less, absolutely irrelevant. In fact, if I was interviewing a parade of the type of bland, personality-and-warmth-free automatons that MN seems to think exemplify 'professionalism', bringing a slightly unusual drink in may serve to make them a bit more memorable, in a good way.

I think they are somehow worse because they sweat

MN isn't a hive mind. You're posting on here and you disagree? MN doesn't "think" anything.

That’s the thing, I’m not sure why I think it’s unprofessional. I don’t think it’s the can of pop per se as a can of Diet Coke wouldn’t bother me. I think it’s just Tango. Maybe because of the adverts in the 90s?

Looking forward to the MN thread on this 😂

I was thinking maybe it’s the clinky ice and the wet ring on the desk

I’m now concerned about the people who are saying bringing anything is unprofessional! I’ve always taken a bottle of water in with me as my throat dries up when I get nervous (I am pretty terrible at interviews tbh)

Nobody thinks bottled water is unreasonable.