Unemployed in Westchester: Ron Friedman

Ron Friedman
48, of Tarrytown
Until June 2010: Accounting Manager of a telephone company in Mount Kisco
Salary: “That I’m going to defer.”

Why did you lose your job?
The company was in the second stages of being a start-up and ran out of money. I was the first of many to be let go.

How are you supporting yourself?
I am a CPA and have a tax practice, so I’m making too much to qualify for unemployment, but come April 15, it will be another story. If I didn’t have this solo practice, I’d be in a much worse situation.

What’s the hardest part of looking for a job?
I’m trying to get past the emotional block of feeling helpless while in transition. That feeling never goes away until you’re fully employed.

How have you been affected financially?
Thankfully, I don’t have creditors breathing down my neck. But it’s impacted my lifestyle in the types of things I provide for my family. My children are sixteen and thirteen, and I’m mostly worried about saving for college.

What sort of job do you ideally want?
I’d like to be in a comptroller position taking care of the finances of a company. It’s like in that movie The Blind Side. I’m there protecting the quarterbacks’ blindside, so they’re able to take care of all the opportunities on the field.

Photography by Stefan Radtke