5 Money & Career Lessons from Kathy Pickering, Chief Tax Officer at H&R Block
PSA: the best things happen beyond your comfort zone.
During Office Hours this week, Katrina Campanale, VP of Sales and Business Development at Her Campus Media, hosted an uplifting conversation with Kathy Pickering, Chief Tax Officer at H&R Block. Kathy shared reflections about her career journey, tips for boosting money confidence, and why everyone should expand their comfort zone.
Watch the replay HERE!
ICYMI, be sure to check out the replay above for Money and Finances 101: How to Set Yourself Up for Success in College and Beyond. In the meantime, here are five key lessons we learned from Office Hours this week:
Don’t stress about finding the perfect job or pathway.
Kathy has been working with H&R Block for over 20 years in a variety of different roles, but you guessed it — she didn’t always have a passion for taxes. “When I started at H&R Block, I didn’t know I had a passion for taxes, but I knew I liked helping people, leading teams, and solving complex problems,” she shared during Office Hours. “Don’t stress about finding the perfect job or pathway — just get started and learn from it. And remember, learning what you don’t like is just as important as learning what you do like.”
Feedback is a gift. Be coachable.
When first starting out in your career and striving to do your best, chances are, you’ll get feedback upfront that can be tough to handle! However, Kathy says that staying receptive to constructive feedback has been helpful in advancing her career, and recommends that students and recent grads always stay coachable. “There are important lessons to take from feedback,” she says. “By being coachable, you can take [their] wisdom and advice to improve your performance. When you’re receptive to that, people will want to help you more, and make you better!”
Ask questions and work with people who can help.
Whether you’re filing taxes for the first time or navigating a new job, know that you can always ask for help. Kathy, who supports clients every tax season at H&R Block, says “if it all starts feeling overwhelming, you can always phone a friend! If you’re filing taxes, you can chat with a tax pro at H&R Block about your questions and get answers. They’ll help review everything with you so that you have the confidence you’re getting it right.” As someone who had a ton of questions my first time filing taxes, I couldn’t agree more with Kathy’s advice.
Take advantage of employer benefits.
“When you get a job, take full advantage of all of the benefits that your employer offers!” says Kathy. “Invest in your health, education, and your retirement. See whether or not your company offers health insurance benefits or the option for a Health Savings Account (HSA). For education, a lot of companies provide tuition reimbursement, scholarships, and even student loan repayment programs.” And for retirement, Kathy recommends investing in a 401(k) or 457(b). “You want to start right away!” she says. “Many employers are matching that money -— it’s free money, so definitely take advantage of that.”
Everything you want is just outside of your comfort zone.
Whether you have a personal, professional, or money-focused goal you’d like to achieve, chances are, you’ll have to take a risk to achieve what you want. Early in your career (and beyond!), it’s important to grow and expand your comfort zone so that you can make your dreams a reality. “One of my favorite quotes is ‘everything you want is just outside of your comfort zone,” says Kathy. “If there’s something that you really want, you have to take action and risk something to go get it. This inspires me when I’m feeling afraid of something. Just take the plunge and go for it!”
We loved Kathy’s tips for how to feel more confident in your career and start tackling money and finances, during college and beyond. Catch up on the replay here for more money tips, and be sure to follow @generationhired and @hrblock on Instagram to stay up-to-date on future events!
