What to say when she says she's been job hunting and feels drained

The word that matters most in her message is drained, not job hunting. The job hunt is the cause, but drained is how she feels about it right now. If you only respond to the logistics, you'll answer a question she didn't ask. She's telling you her energy is low and she'd like someone to know that without making a big deal of it.

Notice the small hedges too. Trying not to take it personally and kind of drained signal that she's keeping her tone light. She doesn't want to sound like she's falling apart. Matching that lightness while still acknowledging the weight usually lands better than ignoring it or making it heavy.

Her message is a medium-sized disclosure. It's not a crisis and it's not a throwaway. A reply that treats it as a crisis will feel like too much attention, and a reply that treats it as small talk will feel like you didn't really register it. Aim for something proportionate: one clear acknowledgement, one small question or comment that lets her continue if she wants, and then room for the conversation to go wherever she takes it.

If you know her well enough to have a sense of her humour, lean on that a little. If you don't, keep it warm and plain. Either way, make it easy for her to say more or drop it, without needing to justify why she brought it up.

After your first reply, watch what she does with it. If she elaborates on the rejections, the stress, or what kind of roles she's chasing, she wants to talk about it, so stay with it for a few exchanges and ask one follow-up question at a time. If she shifts to something else, follow the shift without comment. Going back to the job search after she's moved on tells her you were waiting to get back to the heavy topic.

If she gives short replies after you've asked a question, don't keep pushing. Short replies often mean she's done with the topic for now. It's fine to let it rest and come back to it naturally later.