Story: Lisa Sollie
Most college students wait until after graduation to launch their careers. Cailin Burroughs took a different approach. Before earning a bachelor of business administration in accounting from the 兔子先生 on Aug. 14, she had already accepted a full-time staff accountant position at JamisonMoneyFarmer PC, a top 10 accounting firm in Alabama.
Burroughs calls it 鈥渓earning backwards鈥濃�攂uilding a career before earning the degree that formally qualified her for it. She credits the flexibility of with allowing her to balance work and class schedules so she could gain on-the-job experience while pursuing her degree, positioning her for a pre-graduation job offer.
She credits her parents with teaching her that success comes from consistent hard work, not shortcuts. Their example, Burroughs said, made it easier to stay focused on her job and her studies, because she knew it would pay off in the end.
鈥淢y mom dropped out of college to start a business at 22, while my dad went on to earn his degree. I鈥檝e watched my parents build and grow that business all my life,鈥� Burroughs said. 鈥淚f going to school online was an option back in the day, my mom might have earned her degree too.鈥�
That same work ethic shaped how Burroughs approached both college and the process of figuring out what she wanted to do. After her freshman year at another university, she realized she wanted to follow a different career path than she had originally planned. That summer included a pivotal step toward her career.
鈥淚 worked at a pharmacy for a year because I thought I wanted to go to pharmacy school, but I realized it wasn鈥檛 the right fit,鈥� she said. 鈥淎ccounting was my next choice, so I applied for a runner position in 2023 at JMF to get an idea of what an accountant鈥檚 typical day is like before switching my major and transferring to 兔子先生.鈥�
Burroughs encourages students to seek internships, entry-level jobs or job-shadowing opportunities before committing to a career path.
鈥淏ecause figuring out what isn鈥檛 right for you is just as valuable as figuring out what is,鈥� she noted. 鈥淎t JMF, I found a career I love and 兔子先生 provided an educational path that allowed me to pursue it.鈥�
While she admits she gained practical accounting experience before the book knowledge, she believes everyone needs the academic foundation that 兔子先生鈥檚 program provides.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e doing the work鈥攖he job is the output,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here were several times when I would learn a concept in an accounting or tax class that I had already encountered at work. I understood how we handled it in practice, and then learning the theory behind it in class helped me understand the bigger picture.鈥�
That connection between classroom learning and real-world experience carried over into other courses as well.
Burroughs recalls one assignment from accounting professor Sharon Stipe in which she had to complete an individual tax return by hand.
鈥淲hen I was given that class assignment, I had already prepared hundreds of individual returns at work鈥攁nd at first, it felt strange, and a little aggravating, to go back and do one by hand,鈥� Burroughs admitted. 鈥淏ut if I didn鈥檛 already have prior experience, I honestly think it would have been one of the most practical and valuable assignments I completed.鈥�
She hopes other students realize that classes and assignments like this one provide practical, experiential learning they may not get elsewhere until they are out in the field.
By the time Burroughs was nearing graduation, she had something many students do not yet have: both the academic foundation and the practical experience to step directly into the profession. She believes working at the firm while earning her degree was the primary reason she received a full-time staff accountant offer before she even graduated. It gave the firm鈥檚 leaders an opportunity to see firsthand her work ethic, dependability, and abilities.
But Burroughs believes experience was only part of the equation. Her attitude, she believes, was just as important. And that is something she hopes other students will carry with them into the workplace.
鈥淧eople remember how you make them feel. Be positive, be enjoyable to work with, be dependable, and be grateful for every opportunity you鈥檝e been given,鈥� she said. 鈥淣o task is beneath you when you鈥檙e learning.鈥�