About

How is the job search going? is a series of memes in which a screenshot of a YouTube a video or other presumably time-wasting thing is displayed under an iMessage notification from someone titled “Dad” or “Mom,” asking, “How’s the job search going?” the implication being that the recipient of the text is not very committed to finding a job. The format first appeared as early as August 2020 on Reddit and sparked viral spread over the following years on sites like X and Instagram.

Origin

On August 3, 2020, Reddit user u/LeCorny posted a meme to /r/destiny2 consisting of a screenshot of the uploader looking at a post. Destiny 2 YouTube video associated with an iMessage notification from their mother displayed at the top of the screen stating: “How is the job search going?” The post has garnered more than 1,100 upvotes in four years.

Spread

The format became more widespread over the following years. On December 13, 2020, a version of the meme was posted to /r/recruitinghell in which the same iMessage notification is displayed on a Jimmy Neutron-related video, garnering more than 2,500 upvotes in four years.

On August 17, 2021, user X @Twilight posted a version of the meme in which a similar iMessage notification, this time from her father, is displayed on top of the meme. “Where the hell have you been, local” scene of Twilight: New Moongarnering more than 7,400 likes in three years.

The same day, a version of the meme was posted to /r/PhilosophyMemes that garnered over 3,900 upvotes in the same time frame.

Costco Guys appearance on Fallongarnering over 41,000 likes in one day.

Various examples

Research interest

External references