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.

The interviewer should offer the interviewee a drink.

I think it's unprofessional to take in your own.

Totally agree Unkess the interviewer offered a hot drink and was having one themselves.

I’ve never worked in corporate settings and have only had a couple of interviews in my life (I’m nearly 50). I work in fitness now, where I’ve never had to have an interview. But nonetheless, if I needed to go to a formal interview, no, I wouldn’t take a beverage with me- looks a bit too casual and relaxed I imagine.

It wouldn't bother me at all. If I'm interviewing people it tends to be online though and less formal anyway.

I wouldn’t do it in either position. As an interviewer I’d think it was odd and not professional (NHS)

@WalterMittysPuppet
”walking into an interview with a penis peeping out”

This is a huge leap in etiquette from simply holding a cup of coffee!

Ok, being old I'm afraid its completely beyond me why anyone needs to be walking around drinking coffee all the time. Down the street, in the supermarket, even while driving. Can't people just wait until meal times or tea or coffee breaks? Don't bother answering, I don't want to know.

Why shouldn't you take coffee into an interview? Because you're having an interview, not having a coffee break. Smacks of a casual, unprofessional attitude IMO. It's half an hour of your day.

I misread that you’d downed the cider during the interview and assumed you were joining The Wurzels.

No shade, I’m from Somerset and The Wurzels are a beautiful thing.

I think it’s weird to have any food or drink during an interview apart from water

I work in the creative industries, close to loads of coffee shops and, yes, our office is full of coffee cups.

That's not a job interview.

Yes, I would think so, which is why I asked the question.

in my 50s and I don’t really see the issue here. I always take a bottle of water to interviews, so what’s the difference?

Im interested in their skills and experience. Life is hard enough without judging someone for bringing a bloody drink to an interview that they’ve prepped for, taken time off work, probably incured expense to get there.

I would never take a coffee in myself, as a candidate. I have been interviewing this year but it's all been online. I actually don't think it would automatically turn me against a candidate if they were just taking a sip every now and then. (We have strict criteria so couldn't penalise them anyway). If they were focused and able to answer questions well, they could still do well. We are fairly informal. Obviously, if they are shaking the cup around and rattling the ice, drinking noisily through the straw, this would be harder to ignore!

oh bringing my bottle of water in hasn’t prevented me from ever getting a job

Ha! I thought this might be some corporate wank! "Driving a coffee."

Why is what’s good for the Goose not good for Gander

I once took a mug of lemsip into an interview. Got a dirty look but to be fair I felt very ill and really needed it, and I got called in early (someone else let me use the kettle and a mug, I'd stopped at boots en route). It was a hard interview and I felt like death. Got the position. This was pre COVID when staying home sick was seen as a moral weakness rather than the polite thing to do.

Which categories do the ones you named fall into in terms of acceptability of ice coffee at an interview?

Occasional interviewer in a generally unshowy and dress-down environment. Professional though but local gov.
unprofessional at an interview.
early 50s

33
Public sector - Admin
Genuinely wouldn’t give a fuck if I interviewed someone who had iced coffee.

I wouldn’t do it myself in a professional interview but wouldn’t think badly of someone if they did.

This is to do with the Gen Z interview pisstake

Yep. Since evrryone has some form of coffee at their desk I cannot fathom what about an iced coffee causes such an extreme reaction from you OP. I work in HR and don't think I would notice what drink someone had unless it was a glass of wine or something.

Also looked a bit of a tit not knowing what a support worker is then accusing the poster of being coy 😂

Well, the original reply said:

"all of my interviews are for support worker jobs where there are no hard rules or dress code."

So I don't really get why it is a crazy question to ask what kind of support worker this is.

Well ive interviewed plenty, and quite frankly I wouldn't care if they brought in a drink with them.

Sandwich? Id judge.

Actually depends if they were using a disposable cup or their own one. Id be more than happy if it was in their own cup.