I Embraced The Unexpected To Grow As A Tax Professional, Here’s How I Did It

Diana Castro, Senior Tax Expert at Intuit, has found the perfect balance between work and personal life. She recently shared with Fairygodboss why Intuit should be your next employer and why it should be the first company that comes to mind for tax and bookkeeping professionals. From the flexibility with the work hours and the various learning opportunities, Castro wants people to know that the financial firm cares about their employees. “You’re encouraged to branch out in other areas, you’re not expected to know everything, you can collaborate with other more knowledgeable and talented tax experts” says Castro. Read below for her story and insights.

Reflecting on my years as a finance professional, there are two guiding principles I’ve adopted that have had an outsized impact on my career. First, I’ve learned to welcome unexpected opportunities, even if they take me outside of my comfort zone. Every time I challenge my assumptions about my capabilities and try something new, I expand my professional horizons. Secondly, I’m always proactive about designing my career to fit my life. Paying attention to both my personal and professional goals allows me to find success with balance. While continuing to manage my full-time tax and mortgage practice, I’ve started my latest professional adventure. Working with Intuit as a TurboTax Live tax expert I’ve learned new skills, supplemented my income while working at my own pace, and joined a community that helps me grow professionally every day.

Family is so important to me. When I became a single mother during the early stages of my career, I knew I had to make some changes in my professional life. I needed to find a way to balance being a financial provider to my daughters, while still giving them the time and attention they deserved. My existing consulting practice required frequent domestic and international travel. Despite loving my job, I felt the pull to be close to home more than ever.

I decided to leave corporate consulting behind in order to pursue business options in my local market and be there for my daughters. I went back to my alma mater, UCSB, to pursue my CPA certification. After working for several companies in the tax and accounting space however, I realized that I preferred tax work to accounting. I opened my own tax practice and later became an EA instead of a CPA.

Becoming an Intuit TurboTax Live tax expert has allowed me to integrate new opportunities into my career at my own pace, in a way that has been productive and fully manageable for me. I can continue to work in my full-time tax practice, and use my new knowledge and experiences to better serve my existing clients. I have more flexibility to spend time with my family and travel because I can choose a schedule that works best for me. I’ve even been able to help out in completely unexpected ways, participating in several interesting Public Relations, Marketing and Spanish language projects at Intuit. It’s been a perfect fit for my life in this stage of my career. 

The most surprising aspect of my new job is how different it feels to be on a truly collaborative team with expansive new opportunities and challenges. I have an amazing nationwide community of supportive professionals by my side, available to help me out anytime I need it. The comfort of knowing that there are trusted people and resources behind me that can assist me with any situation I encounter is priceless.

As a first-generation American who grew up in a Spanish-speaking household, it’s also important for me to share my expertise with others in my community. I was happy to discover that Intuit partners with some great philanthropic organizations, such as We All Grow Latina, to help Latinx small business owners with tax advice and mentorship. I’m so excited to become part of this effort!

I’ve learned so much working with Intuit. It’s not just the in-depth training and professional community, but the diversity of the customers and businesses that we help. They ask great questions that inspire me to learn more about their challenges and learn new areas of tax law so I can provide accurate and valuable guidance. This empowers me to help both them and my existing clients better.

Working as an Intuit TurboTax Live tax expert has allowed me to retain my existing practice while pushing me to explore new ways to help people by applying and expanding my expertise. By prioritizing opportunities that fit my life and staying open to new challenges, I’ve enjoyed a rewarding and exciting career. Hopefully sharing my experience inspires you to open up new professional possibilities and take control of your own career journey.

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