Should You Bring an Iced Coffee to a Job Interview?

This is so silly. I don’t know that I’ll ever understand what makes things go viral, but since everyone is talking about bringing iced coffees to interviews (so specific?!), I might as well weigh in.

Should this matter?

Not even a little bit!

Does it?

Sometimes I bet it does and that’s why it’s important to consider ahead of time. Not because it’s any reflection on a candidate’s ability to do the job. But, because you can’t possibly know how the hiring manager is going to feel about it.

Interviews are about showing that you can do the work, absolutely, but they’re just as much about real human connection with the person sitting opposite you.

You want them to leave the interview thinking, “I want this person on my team - I’d enjoy spending more time with them.”

That’s why I coach my clients to do their targeting research ahead of time to find points of convergence with each person interviewing them.

If you’re preparing for interviews as part of a career transition, MissionPivot™ can help you research the role, think through how your experience fits, and get clearer on the story you want to tell.

So if connection is part of the goal, why introduce an entirely avoidable variable if you have reason to think it could work against you?

Drink the iced coffee in the car. Walk into the interview fully caffeinated, with both hands free and one less thing to stress over afterwards!