A Florida corporate recruiter’s TikTok video has ignited a nationwide argument over whether showing up to a job interview with an iced coffee in hand signals disrespect or simply reflects the reality of a busy day.
Caitlin Wehniainen, who has spent 16 years recruiting for Fortune 500 companies, posted a video criticizing the practice, which has since drawn more than 17,000 likes and 5,000 comments.
“When you show up with an iced coffee or an iced latte, it is perceived — from my opinion and a hiring standpoint — that this interview is just a stop on your list of errands for the day,” Wehniainen said.
She said the habit makes candidates look “a little too casual.” “It looks like you went to Target, went to Starbucks, and now you’re stopping by your interview before moving on to the next thing,” she said. Her advice: get your coffee well before or well after the interview, not during it.
The video split opinion online. Some commenters sided firmly with Wehniainen, with one calling the behavior evidence that “that generation has lost the art of professionalism.” Others pushed back hard, arguing that job seekers shouldn’t have to rearrange their entire day around a half-hour meeting.
“An interview IS just a stop in my day,” one TikTok user wrote. “It’s not my whole day.”
One self-described recruiter offered a competing take, saying that showing up early or on time with coffee in hand actually demonstrates strong time management. Others noted that Wehniainen recruits for large, formal corporations, and that expectations may be far more relaxed at smaller or less buttoned-up employers. Given the difficulty of today’s job market, some commenters said any company that would reject a candidate over a coffee cup isn’t one worth working for anyway.
An Etiquette Expert Weighs In
Diane Gottsman, a national etiquette expert and owner of the Protocol School of Texas, said job seekers should play it safe regardless of which side of the debate they find more persuasive.
“Perception is everything,” Gottsman told Fox News Digital. “What one person may think is fine, another person may not.”
She said an iced coffee in an interview room can read as a distraction and a sign of casualness that doesn’t belong in a first meeting with a potential employer. But Gottsman was careful to note the criticism isn’t limited to younger workers. “We’re not pointing the finger only at a certain generation,” she said, adding that professionals of every age make similar missteps.
Her broader advice for interview etiquette: put the phone away entirely, skip strong perfume or cologne, take sunglasses off your head, and don’t chew gum.
The Phone Problem
Coffee cups aren’t the only distraction drawing complaints from hiring managers. One manager based in New York described a candidate who placed her phone face-up on the conference table during an interview, then repeatedly checked and even responded to incoming texts while being interviewed.
The interview ended early. The candidate did not get the job.
Gottsman said it’s fine to accept coffee or water if an interviewer offers it, but candidates shouldn’t ask for more than what’s given, and should ask permission before drinking from their own water bottle. She also reminded job seekers that the process runs both ways — candidates are sizing up whether a company’s culture is a fit for them, just as employers are evaluating candidates.
Both Gottsman and Wehniainen agreed there’s a simple solution that avoids the whole controversy: save the celebratory drink for after the interview is done.
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