AIBU to think takeaway iced coffee at interviews is unprofessional?

[MasterBeth]

Apparently, the world is debating this topic. Let's join in:

Is it unprofessional to bring a takeaway iced coffee into a job interview?

The answer to me is blindingly obvious, but not to everyone, it seems.

Feel free to add your age and industry, in case that matters.

Ok I can just about imagine circumstances where someone arrives very flustered and has had a really unfortunate journey - bus breaking down or something - so reasons why they just haven’t been able to dispose of this cup and still have it in their hand. Sympathy.

BUT if someone was slurping through a straw during an interview I would be noting “slurped through straw” against the Professionally presented criterion. And I would deduct time spent slurping from time allotted to answer the questions.

I personally don’t see the issue with a coffee or a tea being brought into in an interview but I would severely judge if it was a fizzy drink or something of that kind. I don’t know why you and other people take offence to a coffee like why is it taking so much brain power

also…genuine question…do you not get really bloated and gassy or find you spend the meeting holding in burps?!

Completely inappropriate.

Are they bringing a round for everyone on the panel, or just themselves?

Hmm. I think it would wave a small pink flag for me. Maybe they got there with lots of time to spare and are fuelling up for a productive day?
However, if they were LATE and had a bloody coffee.. good bye forever matey.

Incredible! Reminds me of Ron Burgandy “milk was a bad choice”

It’s a no from me. I think it’s the straw. Or anything you would have to suck on. A drink with the lid removed that you could drink from like a normal cup wouldn’t be quite so bad.

Late 40s, pharma industry.

My automatic reaction is no, but thinking about it would I bring any drink in that I had to slap down on the interview table next to my interviewer in order to shake their hand? No.

So I’d say bringing any open drink container is unprofessional (vs say water bottle in bag) rather than an iced coffee being specifically wrong.

Coffee/tea, takeaway/mug/thermos - all unprofessional whether you are the interviewer or interviewee.
Iced and takeaway presumably not relevant!

Just wait and have a coffee afterwards. Not everything needs to be accompanied by drinks and snacks. It just feels sloppy to me, like someone who let their lack of impulse control get the better of them. Obviously being offered coffee there is totally different!

My bugbear is interviews in places like hotel lobbies..can’t bear that lack of professionalism and everything being overheard

I should say that I was offered a takeaway drink by an interviewer, I accepted. Got a classic British cup of tea. Then a little way through the interview the cup lid popped off and I managed to spill the still boiling tea all over my hands. and the table. Sword loudly. Had to pause the interview to run my hand under the cold tap. Still got the job. Iced coffee would probably have been safer.

And don't do as I did and get a massive latte before the interview and let it fall off a table soaking your shoe meaning that you have to go to the interview with one wet shoe that smelled like baby sick.

I think it’s quite unusual to need to burp after a fizzy drink?

Why so rude?
A support worker isn’t an uncommon job role. They support people who need support for whatever reason.

Really? I just assumed most people did massive burps after fizzy drinks. I find it even worse if it’s from a can or bottle. Every day’s a school day!

Ffs where have you been?. They're not being coy, it's just obvious.
A support worker helps people with physical or mental disabilities. In any way they need helping.

Client meetings are full of coffees. Majority of the interviews start with offering a drink - at least a watter, but teas, coffees and whatever is available in the kitchen is pretty normal, at my job it would include hot chocolate, coca cola and bio iced matcha tea.

So seeing an interview as "something different" is an absolutely made up artificial "rule" - and breaking it doesn't prove anything.

However, I suppose I wouldn't work for you anyway, if your "sensibilities" leads you to judge people based on your feelings about "tiny bit something" stuff , it is quite probable that you'd turn out nuts about something else as well.

And yes, I value hybrid work and time flexibility. And yes, it goes both ways, sometimes job is flexible for me and sometimes I'm flexible for the job.

Way too informal. Also would the interviewee plan on sipping it while the interviewer didn’t have one? How rude!

And there I was thinking I was the only person on MN who reads Ask A Manager!* 😄

If I was the interviewer this wouldn't bother me. (I'm in my 50s and work in a fairly laid-back profession, for reference.) If I was the interviewee, though, I wouldn't do it because even in this day and age a lot of people have very strict ideas about business norms.

[*Edited to add - or possibly not, I just googled it and realised this is everywhere for some reason. 😄That's where I first saw it, though.]

Yeah, client meetings are normally full of coffees in our industry too. And the majority of interviews start with offering a coffee - sure.

So it's a bit odd to turn up with your own. It suggests you don't understand the norms of the industry.

Why one and not the other? Why is your brain power taken up by a few fizzy bubbles?

Maybe arrive with one to finish in the waiting room. Not into the interview.
40s - university and healthcare

And what about all the other types of support worker that don't do that?