Why job seekers should probably avoid bringing iced coffee to interviews in today's frozen hiring market

Job seekers are debating whether an iced coffee belongs at a job interview.

Sharpzina/Getty Images A viral TikTok sparked a debate over whether bringing iced coffee to a job interview is a bad look.

Some say employers shouldn't care; others say small things can make a bad first impression.

A tough job market has job seekers sweating the small stuff that could tip the scales against them.

To avoid getting iced out by hiring managers, you might want to leave your iced coffee at home.

In a viral TikTok video, recruiter Caitlin Wehniainen discussed Gen Z candidates arriving at interviews with iced coffees and lattes.

She thinks this comes across too casually, as though the interview is "a stop on your list of errands for the day." The video prompted plenty of reactions.

Some questioned why an iced coffee should factor into a hiring decision at all.

"I wanna vomit watching this take and seeing this kind of stuff," one TikToker said.

"This is why I left the corporate world three and a half years ago and have never looked back." Others said the debate plays into perceptions of Gen Z as entitled , arguing that younger workers may disagree with corporate America's unspoken rules but still have to navigate them.

One TikToker said that candidates who believe things unrelated to job performance shouldn't matter should try showing up to an interview with a plate of chicken wings.

"If you want the job, you do have to kind of play the game," another TikToker said.

The debate highlights the reality of today's tough job market.

Slower hiring has allowed many employers to be more selective as they sift through candidates.