Carolyn Hayden-Garner, CPP, was a little disappointed when she was hired at the Dallas Independent School District as a payroll accountant. After spending a few years as an accounting supervisor, she was worried that taking a non-supervisory role would be a setback for her career.

Nothing could have been further from the truth.

“Sometimes you have to take a step back to take a huge leap forward,” Hayden-Garner said during Wednesday’s General Session at the 41st annual Payroll Congress.  

 

 

Throughout her career, Hayden-Garner said she has learned from great mentors both at the companies she’s worked for and through PayrollOrg. Those people have inspired her to work harder, take her career to new levels, and find new career strengths that Hayden-Garner didn’t know she had.

“Along the way I’ve learned to lead by investing in my team,” Hayden-Garner said. “I still get calls today from former coworkers who are wanting to make new career moves.”

But Hayden-Garner admits her career hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbows. There have been a lot of late nights, early mornings, and challenging times.

The inspiration goes both ways. Garner said she was inspired to get her Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification after seeing one of her coworkers pass the test. So, she started studying with PayrollOrg’s content library and eventually passed the test herself.

“PayrollOrg is the lifeline for my career,” she said. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”

To Elvira DeJesus, the Sr. Payroll Technician for the City of Palmdale, California and a PayrollOrg member who attended the talk, Hayden-Garner’s presentation showed the importance of mentoring younger professionals and specializing in payroll.

DeJesus said she is nearing the end of my payroll career and is starting to look for mentoring opportunities like those Hayden-Garner shared.

“I truly believe in mentoring,” DeJesus said. “I think a lot of people get lost in just getting an accounting degree, but that’s not all there is. But having a payroll specialty is a game-changer in this industry.”