as someone who went through the 2001 period without a job for a very very long time, never ask how their job search is doing. If it was going well, I would have

as someone who went through the 2001 period without a job for a very very long time, never ask how their job search is doing. If it was going well, I would have told you. talk about other things unless you have something meaningful to offer or they bring it up.