Millennials got raked over the coals for their avocado toast. Now, Gen Z job seekers are being castigated by online recruiters and the rest of the internet for their iced lattes.
In a recent TikTok, corporate recruiter Caitlin Wehniainen said her Gen Z clients were showing up to interviews with an iced coffee in hand. Her advice: Don’t do that because it can be perceived as unprofessional.
“When you show up with an iced coffee or an iced latte, this interview is just a stop on your list of errands for the day,” she said. “Don’t waltz into your interview all casual with an iced coffee.”
The tip might seem simple enough for most, but it has ignited a flurry of disagreements, both in the video’s comment section (which has racked up 5,000 replies in a week) and on social media at large.
Many agreed with the recruiter’s advice, calling on Gen Z to respect traditional professionalism norms, which many claim the younger generation overlooks.
“You’re right and I’m shocked at these comments. People have become way too chill and unprofessional,” a user said. Another added: “Leave your coffee in your car. I totally agree.”
But for many more, the comment section became a space to voice their rejection of overly formal expectations from applicants.
“Okay but hear me out. What if we hired the most qualified person for the job?” one user replied. Another added: “Are they allowed to eat beforehand or is fasting also required to impress you?”
The debate quickly escaped TikTok and made its way across platforms, going beyond the intergenerational spat and opening up a conversation about the job interview game as a whole.
“Hate to agree with the millennials, but why is Gen Z literally addicted to resisting job advice…?” a user said on X, in a post with over 6 million views. “It doesn’t matter if you think the performance of trying to get hired is stupid. If you can’t play the game for half an hour, then you have a bigger personality defect.”
Other users took the opportunity to share their own experience and offer advice to Gen Z.
“I did a mock interview thing where I, as a favor to my alma mater, interviewed students and gave them feedback. It was over Zoom. The kid got insulted and confused when I mildly suggested he clean up his room and improve the lighting,” one user shared in response to the discourse.
While many replies agreed with the user, others called out how ridiculous the system is in the first place.
“This is how you know the job market is shit because we are having a conversation about bringing a damn iced coffee into an interview,” a user said.