(Ed.Note) Welcome to our journey into the world of recession blogs! The 405 Club wants to get personal via a handful of questions with our favorite fellow bloggers who are documenting the recession and unemployment firsthand.

We’ve got a special guest today, sitting with us all the way in from Des Moines courtesy of http://unemployedindesmoines.com - Enjoy.

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Before we chat about the blog, what will you be having for brunch? * two eggs on toast w/ decaf coffee

1. When were you laid off and what did you do? Or are you employed/self-employed? If so, what do you do now?

* Feb 2008 - settled on a crap job Jul-Aug and was laid off AGAIN! Am technically “underemployed” right now as I work part time for a non-profit - unemployment insurance makes up the rest of my monthly “income”.

2. When and why did you start your site?

* Wrote my first post on 21-May at http://unemployedindesmoines.com. The first 3 months of unemployment consisted of submitting my resume to job openings I found on job boards. I read Seth Godin’s “Tribes” and was totally hooked on not being a “sheep-walker” anymore. I always wanted to learn how to develop a website and I was meeting others in Des Moines who were in the same situation and we just needed a place to gather. They were also wondering where I was networking, so I included that on the site.

3. What is your motivation to continue blogging and/or running the site?

* The positive feedback from the people I’m meeting keeps me motivated to keep the site going. And it is serving as a virtual body of work that I can show a potential employer. If I’m helping one person, the site is worth it.

4. Do you think blogging or running your site will help you find a job?

* Yes - it just gives you more exposure. I’ve been on radio shows and my blog is featured on 2 local newspaper’s online business sections. So, the exposure is amazing. Des Moines is the smallest large city out there and the community has really reached out to this brand to support it.

5. What do you want to do next professionally?

* I’d love to work from home as a virtual assistant specializing in social media and event planning. There are so many people I know who were once unemployed and are now small business owners. They want to focus on their business and don’t have the time to mess with the other stuff. That’s where I come in…

6. How will your blog change when you rejoin the workforce?

* It would be a challenge to write original posts - that’s for sure. We’ll see how it evolves.

7. What’s new at your site and where does it go from here?

* I launched the site a couple of weeks ago, so the site in and of itself is brand spankin’ new…

Well thanks for joining us all the way from Des Moines! Happy Holidays!

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See past Sunday Blog Brunches here.