Hey Denmark, what are you doing?: Coffee and job interviews
The Danes. They are incredible. Sometimes you get them, and sometimes you are as lost as you would be in space. This is the first part of The Quiz “Hey Denmark, what are you doing?”. It will be a quiz full of questions and alternatives (based on real-life experiences and anecdotes), and hopefully some answers as well.
Join along, and see if you know the answer to the first question! Also, feel free to comment, and contact us if you have any Danish puzzles of your own.
Question 1: You’re at a job interview, and your potential, future employer, starts the interview by asking if you want a cup of coffee. What do you do?
You think, “This is a serious job interview, not a coffee date… Eating cake and lighting candles doesn’t seem right for a job interview!”
Answer b)
I accept! As in many other cultures, it’s polite to conform and accept what is offered. In Denmark, it just happens to be coffee!
Answer c)
I don’t really like coffee in the first place, and I want to be polite by not burdening the interviewer with superfluous beverages!
The correct answer this time is: B
But why?
It may not be particularly Danish, but “a cup of coffee” here is the standard ingredient in most social gatherings – from a “coffee break” to “going out for a coffee”. This applies to tea-drinkers (a minority) too. It’s also a “hygge” thing (having a coffee makes the job interview less rigid and formal), and an issue of conformity: At a job interview, having what the interviewer is having (typically coffee, but I have been in the same situation with Coca-Cola as the main ingredient) shows that you fit in. Also, it is not a burden! The coffee is probably prepared in advance, so if you want to radically stand out, ask for green tea…!
About this author:
Linn Katarina Grubbström is a Swedish girl, now studying her last year at a master in corporate communication at Århus School of Business and doing internships at an advertising company in Copenhagen. She’s been living in Denmark for two years. You can follow her at her blog linnkatarina.blogspot.com.
Expat in Denmark
Peter A. Lemmich
Helle Granhøj
The Copenhagen Post
Neal Greenspan
Craig Till
linnkatarina
Very helpful Linn.
Keep up the good work.
I had been wondering what to do when prospective employers offer me hot beverages at the beginning of an interview.
Thanks. I’m glad to hear that you like the concept! Just tell me if you have any good ideas for further questions in the quiz.
Hej
I am a non-Dane, and I work in recruitment here (also did that before in another country). Candidates get offered a drink, usually coffee, tea or water – none of them should be a burden.
The reason apart from politeness is, that eg. it helps starting a conversation, makes you more comfortable, helps you calm your nerves a bit. Also, it’s nice to have a glass water if your throat gets dried out from talking, and trust me, during an hour-long interview it will. In my home country (Hungary) actually it is more polite to accept at least a glass of water.
Yeah, it is good to avail the offer of coffee, it will relax and creates confidence to hear and respond,. It is also some sort of hospitality by interviewer. I am from Pakistan and have been involved in conducting the interviews to offer a cup of coffee or tea creates a friendly environment for questioning and answering. Enjoy coffee.