The Job Seeker's Perfect Distraction: Summer CampThe Job Seeker's Perfect Distraction: Summer Camp

Question: What do you do when you're a tech worker who's been out of work for months and good job prospects are few and far between? Answer: Start a summer camp, of course.

Michael Feldman and Andrew Brenner, two seasoned IT employees who'd co-founded companies before falling victim to the economic downturn, did just that last month when they launched Recession Camp. Essentially a series of informal outings designed to bring balance to the lives of laid-off dot-commers, Recession Camp lets job seekers connect with each other, have some fun, and keep perspective, all without significantly interrupting their ongoing job searches.

Feldman, who was CEO of online marketing services firm Tools Inc. until parent company Idealab pulled funding for the venture in February, says Recession Camp was born early this summer when he and Brenner were in line for a movie matinee and Brenner noted that thousands of other out-of-work Bay area IT pros were probably doing the same thing. The pair bought the recessioncamp.com domain, suggested some events and--lo and behold--other unemployed folks started showing up.

The first gathering was a hike in early July, and since then some 60 to 70 unemployed people have shown up for activities such as other hikes, a horseback ride, and an Oakland A's baseball game. But the attendance so far only hints at the interest level: Brenner and Feldman have 340 people on their mailing list, and the Web site has attracted more than 10,000 visitors since going live in late June.

Brenner, who until May was VP of business development for Mspect Inc., which measures mobile Internet service quality, says keeping a positive attitude during a job hunt is crucial. "If you go into a job interview with a lot of negativity, you're not going to get the job," he says.

Brenner and Feldman's idea has caught the attention of unemployed workers beyond Northern California. Requests to set up charters are coming from all over the country. Rather than get so formalized, the pair simply agrees to post appropriate events to their site and then lets local organizers take over. Despite their entrepreneurial backgrounds, the two are in this latest venture purely for the fun of it. "We're not doing this for capitalistic purposes," Feldman says. "We're not seeking funding."