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.

Wouldn’t bat an eyelid, publishing industry, albeit corporate function, central London office, I’m late 40’s. Previously worked in fashion industry, also interviewed people with & without a coffee and it’s never been an indicator of quality of candidate.

I’ve done loads of interviews and wouldn’t care less. This would not play any role in whether they get the position or not

I work in a salon. Its mandatory.

Exactly this. Some interviewers won’t care but a lot will, and it shows a lack of judgement and professionalism. Obviously it wouldn’t be the deciding factor but I would definitely notice and mark a candidate down for this. I bring iced coffees to internal team meetings, doesn’t mean I’d do the same if I was called to a meeting with senior management or the CEO. Context is important and candidates who don’t recognise that and adapt their behaviour accordingly are probably not the right fit. I work in a corporate job but equally wouldn’t have done this when interviewing for cafe and bar work back in the day, it’s unprofessional regardless of the job.

Fair enough! Different jobs / areas I guess 🤷‍♀️

It’s like sucking on a baby bottle. Just looks really infantile, like they can’t go an hour without an emotional support dummy

Quite. And or they don’t care or know how childish they look.

Unprofessional but also silly that it matters.

I don’t get this iced coffee / baby stuff. In lots of hot countries all people drink it all summer

anyway, what did make me laugh is thinking about all this hand wringing about falling standards when people used to go into interviews and HAVE A FAG back in the day 🚬

I think it's a little bit rude to be bringing your own drink into any new social situation where you are likely to be offered a drink by the host.

I think it feels pretty greedy and needy to have to have a drink with you during the 30-90 minutes of an interview.

I think it's a tiny bit distracting to be sucking on a straw and rattling your ice cubes in a job interview.

Putting all those things together, I think it shows a small to medium lack of judgement when the alternative is very simple - to not bring an iced coffee into an interview.

This.

And a cautionary tale… About 18 months ago I was a second interviewer and one of the candidates had a huge takeaway soft drink with a straw (‘Big Gulp’ thing - this was in NY). She slurped on it leisurely throughout the interview, was easily the weakest of the candidates and had no questions at the end other than to ask where my earrings were from.

I rated her a hard no and the drink thing was a major part of that. But her ridiculous boss (who I had also interviewed a year before and rated a no) chose her and she is hopeless. The boss has since been fired for bullying her!

I’ve run interviews in (fairly senior) finance for about ten years. I honestly wouldn’t even notice if someone brought a takeaway drink of any sort. But I don’t think I’ve ever taken a drink to an interview either.

I was today years old when I learned that people on MN actually differentiate hot coffee from iced, because apparently iced coffee seems frivolous/infantile...
I don't know about all that but all I can say is that it must be depressing to live in a world where you are so consumed by others perceiving you as infantile for drinking coffee with ice in it 😂I'll just be over here, being frivolous and young, enjoying my iced Chai lattes.

As for OP's question, though I'm not a manager and have never hired anyone, I have personally never seen anyone bring anything other than water into an interview, myself included. I wouldn't consider it unprofessional necessarily but I would question why the coffee couldn't have waited until after, or been consumed prior.

The clue is kind of in the name 🤨🤨

Are you ok? This really cannot just be about an iced coffee at an interview.

Well I hope none of them got employed

I would not think it weird if someone bought a bottle of water to wet a nervous mouth but a take away cup coffee screams casual out shopping with my gal pals type thing

having said that id expect to be offered refreshments at an interview and have sipped the coffee offered to me during an interview

teacher 50

Sorry?

Ive seen what bugs/glasses some people ( read some male colleagues) put water in for interviewees. I’d take in my own water in a bottle. If a produce tube employer, takes issue with that, I don’t want to work there.

Outrageous! But given how often I now encounter this in public spaces I guess not that surprising.

Honestly, what's this obsession with coffee, and everyone has to have one in their hand all the time?

Interviewer can do what they like. Interviewee, no, just try and be as simple as you can. I used to try and make jokes during interviews PURELY out of nerves, and always got horrible looks and never got called back. So since those days I've tried to be as bland as possible without coming across like a total bore. Sometimes I've taken water in and explained I have asthma which can bring on a sore throat.

I really think it say a lot about the interviewer if they judge a candidate for bringing a drink. Its almost like they want the ideal candidate to be robotic and dont want to see them as an actual human. They are looking for someone who will follow every instruction without question and look up to their bosses. Bringing the coffee indicated the interviewee is a real human who may have their own thoughts and ideas. I think those that dont care would make much better bosses as they probably dont see themselves as "above" the interviewee.

Hmm it feels like something a young millennial or Gen Z would do. Probably says they’re more interested in what the company can do for them and they’ll be expecting a good hybrid working pattern or regular work from home.

I think if you care about making a good impression, you don’t turn up at interview with a large drink.

I am a manager with direct hiring responsibility for my team and I don't think it would bother me. People of all grades seem to come to business meetings clutching takeaway coffee, I don't see this as any different.