Perspectives on iced coffee
While this is an unusual blog title, the "Should you bring an iced coffee to a job interview?" debate that went viral online last week, gives an opportunity to look at two different perspectives on what constitutes professionalism. It also allows for discussion of those "unwritten rules" that if broken can damage others' perception of you. The FT online original article for this month is Should an iced coffee really cost you the job? It is a high-interest topic through which the concept of perspective may be introduced.
Introducing perspective
Our ideas about acceptable behaviour are shaped by enculturation - the norms we learn from our families, social circles and cultures. The iced coffee debate illustrates this well. Many people, though certainly not everyone, think it is inappropriate for a young candidate to bring an iced coffee to a job interview. Yet few ask whether it is appropriate for the interviewer to have a coffee or another drink beside them.
Age, social class and power influence these judgments. The same behaviour might make someone seem confident and relaxed to one person, but overly casual or rude to another. These expectations often remain “unwritten rules” until someone questions them. This week's article and the FT schools psychology class questions I have generated from it should give your students a lot to discuss.
Remember, to read the article, you need to visit FT online and sign up yourself and your students for free access to FT articles.
Questions
- After watching the video, what are your first thoughts on the argument made by the recruiter?
2. This article is not really just about coffee, is it? Instead, focus on how different generations may view professionalism and authenticity. Support your answer with examples from the article and its comments or the TikTok video.
From the video, the recruiter says it gives the impression that the interview is “just a stop on your list of errands for the day”, “it looks a little too casual”, (i.e. unprofessional, and looks as if you don’t care).
From the article, it is pointed out that “gestures can make or break a day”, “professional workplaces are full of rules that are rarely written down”. Both of these comments demonstrate that the “unspoken rules” you follow are important for how you are perceived.
3. The article quotes an associate professor at Queen Mary Business School who says the debate reflects differences in social class as well as a generation gap between Gen Z and older generations. How does she explain the role of social class?
She argues that people who grow up “around professional people” (that is, in middle-class families) are more likely to know the unwritten rules of a professional workplace than those who do not.
This may prompt debate. Students might argue that workplace expectations vary, that workplaces cannot be neatly divided into “professional” and “non-professional” categories, or that social class is not relevant in this case.
4. While this argument might seem trivial, what does it say about the power of non-verbal communication and symbols, like the iced coffee, to send a message that is perceived in an unintended way?
5. The author says this debate illustrates the “tiny unwritten rules of life” that shape how others see us. Identify at least two other unwritten rules that affect how people are perceived. Share your examples in a small group. How much did your group agree about them?
Students might like to think of unwritten rules of school – not sitting in another’s seat when they have just got up to go to the bathroom, for example; not talking over the teacher; not having your head down on the desk. Or, they might like to think of interview rules.
Because students are close in age and may have similar backgrounds, they will probably agree on many of these rules. Any disagreements can help illustrate how perspectives differ.
6. Reread the article and the comments below it. Then write two short paragraphs: one from a Gen Z perspective and one from the perspective of an older interviewer. In each paragraph, explain the arguments for and against bringing an iced coffee into a job interview.
Gen Z interviewee: I was thirsty, and the receptionist offered me the coffee. It might have seemed rude to leave it behind. Besides, if there is a coffee machine outside the interview room, why shouldn’t I use it? What does having a coffee say about my ability to do the job?
Recruiter: Bringing a coffee into the interview may look too casual and could distract us both. I might wonder whether you are taking the opportunity seriously. It would not necessarily stop me from offering you the job, but it may affect the impression you make. Recruiters in the comments did not all agree on this.
7. Finally, have you changed your initial opinion of the recruiter’s advice?
References
Jacobs, Emma (25 September 2026). Should an iced coffee really cost you the job? FT online. https://www.ft.com/content/476700b2-3054-471a-86b6-a411a6995703?syn-25a6b1a6=1 Accessed 26 September 2026
Wehniainen, Caitlin. [@caitlinrecruiter] (17 September 2026). Coffee and interviews...finish it beforehand [TikTok]. TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@caitlinrecruiter/video/7686166507759455501 Accessed 27 September 2026