One Tax Expert’s Story: “I Wouldn’t Change My Journey at All”

The best way to get a feel for working at Intuit on TurboTax Live is to hear directly from the people on our team. We’d like to introduce you to Urounda Brooks, a manager who has been with Intuit for 7 tax seasons.

When Intuit first reached out to Urounda about working from home as a tax expert, she thought it sounded too good to be true. It wasn’t until a year later that she looked into the role and discovered it was a real opportunity. At the time, Urounda was spending up to 5 hours a day driving to her job in Chicago, so eliminating that long commute was a big incentive for moving to Intuit. But once she joined, she discovered many other benefits in addition to the convenience of working remotely.

The amazing community at TurboTax Live

Urounda came to Intuit with 14 years of experience, and she felt her tax knowledge was quite well developed. But then she started fielding calls from customers filing their US tax returns from all over the world and realized there was much more to learn. “I consider myself a lifetime student,” she says, “and while I was in college and grad school, when I was sitting for exams and getting certifications, I was paying to learn. Here I can learn while I’m earning my income and working toward my bonus, and now I know so much more than when I joined.”

Urounda first worked as a TurboTax Live Tax Support Specialist, and when she needed help with a customer, she could phone the help desk to get support from a lead or manager. “I got to know people’s extensions, and I would call them directly if they had certain expertise,” she says. “I was using a Mac at the time, so I knew which leads also had Macs, and I leaned on them to get proficient with TurboTax on that platform.”

This Mac proficiency came in handy when she needed to support a Spanish-speaking customer. None of the tax experts who spoke Spanish were familiar with Macs, so Urounda stepped up. “He was working to amend a return because he had never reported his charitable contributions. His granddaughter translated, and it was really fulfilling to help them through that.”

Intuit has now transitioned to using Slack as their messaging platform, and Urounda calls the new experience amazing. “We can create group spaces, track and pin the questions that are being answered, and create reminders to look at posts later. And with the customer’s consent, you can use the SmartLook screenshare tool to share a view of the customer’s screen with authorized leads and coaches while you’re talking to the customer. Everyone can see exactly where you are.”

A diverse and supportive culture

The opportunity to participate in various group spaces has helped contribute to a diverse and inclusive culture at Intuit. “We call them ERGs, employee resource groups, and it’s been wonderful to find and connect with others that I share commonalities with,” Urounda says. “Inclusivity isn’t just at the top of the company—it’s down through all of the employees to the customers. We believe that and share it from team to team and person to person.”

The support Urounda feels from Intuit became very real when her sister was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer a few years ago. Urounda had just been promoted to a lead position at Intuit on TurboTax Live, but there was no question—she had to help her sister through treatment. “We were devastated. And I thought that would be the end of my tax season. But when I talked to my manager, he didn’t see it that way. He went to HR and they told us I could use sick time that I accrued when working consecutive seasons to look after my sister. My team supported me every step of the way.”

Urounda was able to set up her schedule to take her sister to chemotherapy and other tests and surgeries while still keeping her new lead position. “The people I worked with were always so concerned and interested. I got so many warm messages that they were thinking of and praying for us. All of that really matters when you’re going through something and you don’t know what’s on the other side.”

In her time at Intuit on TurboTax Live, Urounda has progressed from Tax Support Specialist to full-time manager, earning her Enrolled Agent (EA) credential along the way. She still appreciates the flexibility of working from home that initially drew her to Intuit, but she’s gained much more besides. “The environment is what has kept me here,” she says. “Intuit is a large company but it feels small, and we all learn with each other. I just love being here. I wouldn’t change my journey at all.”

If you’re intrigued by Urounda’s story and want to learn more about working at Intuit, please join our Talent Community.

And when you’re ready to apply, we look forward to scheduling a call with you.