(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.

This week we’re sitting, chatting and grabbing a bite with Erin and Kristen from Opportunemployment.  

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Before we chat about the blog, what will you be having for brunch? 

*Mmmmm. I’d have to say Belgium waffles with fresh strawberries, bacon and a large mimosa

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

*I’ve been rocking unemployment for almost the full 99 weeks. (Got to love those extensions!!) I have experience all over the board from HR, PR and politics to real estate, teaching and bookkeeping.

2. Tell everyone the name of your site, where they can find it, then when and why you started your site. 

*My site is called Opportunemployment- Making the most of your unemployment and can be found at http://opportunemployment.com. I created it because a lot of my friends are beginning to get laid off and, being the resident unemployment guru of our group, they all came to me for advice. I’ve got 99 weeks of making the most of my unemployment and I figured others could benefit from what I have learned.

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

*I figure people are hanging on my every word so I have to continue to write…lol. Seriously though, I have a wealth of experience dealing with unemployment and making the most of it, so I feel it’s important for me to share the knowledge. Plus, it’s great to look at something you’ve created and be proud of it.

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

*Well it couldn’t hurt! I’m not sure if it will help or not but I did get a plug on the mpi.org blog that also mentioned that I was looking for work, so that’s a start. The more you can promote yourself the better. Honestly though, create the site in hopes that it would help me find a job. I really just wanted to share my experiences and insights with the ranks of the unemployed.

5. What do you want to do next professionally? (if you have a job, was this job what you had in mind when searching while unemployed?) *I’m pretty open at this point. I would really like a job helping a company, school or non-profit with their social media and PR as well as handle their HR. I’m a fan of multi-tasking and I love to do a lot of different things.6. How will your blog change when you rejoin the workforce? (has it changed since rejoining the workforce?) 

*That’s a good question, I will probably enlist my unemployed friends as contributors to help add more content but I fill like I will have some good info to share for quite awhile. 99 weeks gives you a lot of things to write about.

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

*Well, the whole site is pretty new so I’m constantly tweeking it and adding new things. I’m still developing some new series but one of my favorites right now is Funny Fridays. There are some great cartoons, videos, etc. about unemployment so I love sharing them.

Bonus Questions: Any final thoughts or words of wisdom for members of The 405 Club? 

*It’s all about prospective. It’s easily to find yourself knee-deep in the unemployment blues so decide to look at your unemployment from another prospective. This is your opportunity to learn new skills, do things you never had time for, volunteer and maybe pursue that dream career you never thought you could get. Turn your unemployment into opportunemployment!

Last but certainly not least, what is your favorite series/feature on The 405 Club? 

*I’m always looking for a good deal and how to stretch my unemployment check so I love the Frugal Fridays. You guys have a great site with a lot of good information!

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op-por-tun-em-ploy-ment n: 1.  where unemployment meets opportunity 2. the state of being unemployed at the perfect time

What is Opportunemployment? It’s looking at your unemployment in a new and positive way. It’s making the most out of the time by bettering yourself and your career prospects.

With the economy taking a nose dive and the unemployment rate skyrocketing, getting a job is a lot more difficult and is taking much longer.  You can sleep in until noon and watch TV all day while gaining the Unemployment 15 (or, 20 or 30), or you can take this opportunity to get creative and grow in your career, as a person or completely change your career path.

Opportunemployment.com was created to help people make the most of their unemployment one tweet, blog and article at a time.

Opportunemployment is brought to you by:

Erin Seay

Erin is known as the unemployment guru in her circle of friends. Consistently the source of advice and solutions to her newly unemployed friends, Erin has decided to undertake this blog to help others like them. She is living up her opportunemployment in sunny San Diego and has experience in everything from HR, PR and politics to real estate, teaching and bookkeeping. She’s a jack of all trades with a love of great wine, the beach, old movies and kickball.

Connect with Erin on twitter

Kristen Kouk

Kristen is a twenty-something public relations guru in the Big D looking for the next pup to rescue, the sweetest vino to imbibe and the quickest route to a Nobel Prize winning blog post. Obsessed with decor, photography, refurbished furniture and couture fashion, she seeks culinary guidance for cheesecakes, chicken fried steaks and jalapeño poppers. Loves her life.

Connect with Kristen on twitter