Gen Z, You Can Bring an Iced Coffee to an Interview on One Condition

There she was again, bursting through the front door of the office 10 minutes late, carrying 20 overflowing bags, topknot askew. "I'm so sorry I'm late," rang the familiar refrain. And I'd absolutely be able to shrug it off and forgive her (even on the 100th occurrence) were it not for what she was holding in her hand: an iced coffee.

I'm a millennial who has been doing "this" (you know, life, work, hoofing it) for long enough to know that it's not great to be late. But if you are late, there better not be anything in your hands. Especially not a freshly ordered iced coffee.

However, when I spotted the latest social media debate about Gen Zers bringing iced coffee to an interview, I didn't quite understand the problem. In case you missed it, millennials have been piling on Gen Z over the issue, with many saying it's unprofessional to show up to a job interview with coffee in hand. That's a hard disagree from me. Sure, if you show up late and have a coffee with you, your resume is going right in the shredder. But there's no reason you can't bring a beverage with you to an interview on that one condition: You're on time.

What is the big deal about bringing a drink with you? Do I need to watch you slurp a Frappuccino with extra whipped cream and caramel drizzle? Probably not. But your ability to perform a role at my company has nothing to do with if you brought a little caffeine along to our meeting. I wouldn't blink if a colleague brought a coffee into a meeting at work, so I similarly don't care if you bring one into our interview.

But I may be in the minority here.

My colleague relayed her interview horror story where a water bottle cost her a job. She reached out for feedback after being rejected from the position. "The interview was great," they told her. "But they felt it was very unprofessional to bring in a plastic water bottle." Yes, really.

I asked her how old the interviewers were. I'm embarrassed to say they were fellow millennials.

You guys, can we stop being old and crotchety about things that don't matter? As someone who has been on the hiring side of things for years, there are so many obstacles to finding the perfect candidate. Why are we creating one more, especially one that has no bearing on their potential job performance?

In fact, I'd argue that a coffee immediately makes things feel much more friendly. I want to hire someone who I'm going to feel at ease working beside. Someone who I can communicate with in a relatable and conflict-free way. Coffee might just be the perfect "prop" to bring to an interview to spark those collaborative vibes.

The online debate will undoubtedly rage on. But I personally won't give it a second thought if a candidate (Gen Z or otherwise) comes in bearing an iced coffee. Unless they're five minutes late. Then, not even "good vibes" can save them.