Working at M Patrick Carroll's CARROLL Organization: From Intern to Full-Time

For many college students, a summer internship can be the key to getting their foot in the door of an organization and ultimately getting full-time employment.

At M Patrick Carroll’s CARROLL Organization, that happened to former property accountant intern Adam Johnson. However, during his time as an intern, Adam knew it was not just working at CARROLL that opened up the door to his career opportunity, but the company culture within that emphasized the mentor-employee relationship.

Fostering Relationships

At CARROLL, it's always about fostering the various types of professional relationships that focus on collaboration, growth, and understanding. When these aspects are combined by individuals who all share the same commitment to excellence, success is the only thing that can happen. In some companies, this fostering of relationships is limited only to higher-level employees. But at CARROLL, it extends up and down the roster, from the highest executives to summer interns.

A Welcoming Nature

When Adam Johnson came to CARROLL as an intern in 2019, he was, of course, a bit nervous about being the new kid on the block. However, that apprehension quickly disappeared once he began working with Tselani Lang, a senior property accountant at CARROLL who would serve as Adam's mentor. From the very beginning, Adam noted it was the welcoming nature of Tselani and other team members that allowed him to get comfortable at CARROLL. Knowing Adam had little experience in this field, Tselani and the rest of the team were always willing to impart their knowledge to Adam, helping him thrive in his internship.

Excellent Interns Equal Excellent Employees

At CARROLL, team members know having an excellent internship program creates a pipeline to having excellent employees in the years ahead. In establishing a learning environment that allowed Adam and others to ask questions, apply their classroom training to real-world situations, and learn from experienced professionals, CARROLL sets the stage for success not only for its interns but for the company as well. By giving Adam a mentor such as Tselani Lang, allowed Adam to have a point person each day with whom he could discuss concerns, brainstorm new ideas, and overcome any roadblocks that could impede his success.

Getting Your Feet Wet

When a person first begins a new job, getting their feet wet often involves making numerous mistakes. While one can always learn from mistakes, it often creates an atmosphere of trepidation and inefficiency. At CARROLL, the internship program focuses not so much on tossing interns into the deep end of the pool and hoping they can swim, but rather, letting them take one step at a time, achieve small bits of success, and thus, build up their confidence and skill levels. Entrepreneur M Patrick Carroll specifically believes in this approach, and cites the supportive mentality behind it as being crucial to its success. As Adam remarked concerning his internship, "Your mentor is able to steer you in the right direction, answer all of your questions, and show you how to communicate with team members in the most effective manner."

No Matter How Smart You Are

As many interns find out when they get out of the classroom and into the real world, no matter how smart you are, there is still plenty they have left to learn. At CARROLL, the staff tries to turn that into a positive with their internship program. Since accounting is one of the most detail-oriented professions a person could choose for themselves, it is vital that those who are experienced in the field be willing to teach those beginning their careers the best ways to accomplish various tasks. Thanks to the strong company culture of the CARROLL internship program, interns who walk through our front doors know from day one exactly what will take place.

A Defined Curriculum

If there is one thing that can doom interns to failure in any setting, it is going into a company that has no definite plan for how to use their skills over the summer. At CARROLL, the internship program has at its core a well-defined program curriculum. With each class of interns, staff combine the mentor program with having each class collaborate with one another on important projects that will teach them the most essential skills needed for success in accounting. Perhaps more importantly, the program encourages the development of team-building skills, workplace communication skills, and the ability to develop a culture that emphasizes when one person succeeds, the team itself will ultimately succeed.

Investing in Interns and Local Communities

The teams at CARROLL also take many of the same principles they apply to the internship program and apply them to working with charitable groups within the local community and others nearby. Determined to make an impact in the lives of people each day, CARROLL and philanthropist M Patrick Carroll regularly partners with local organizations to help out when times are tough. In fact, through the years, we have partnered with such outstanding organizations as the American Red Cross, Ronald McDonald House, Food Lion Feeds, and many more.

National Accolades

CARROLL has received many distinguished awards over the years. Some of which they are most proud of include being named by Inc. Magazine as one of the 1000 Top Private Companies in the United States, as well as being named by NMHC as having Top 50 Managers and Top 35 Owners. However, what the team is perhaps most proud of is the 2021 award they received from NAA as one of the Best Places to Work in the United States.

About M Patrick Carroll, Founder and CEO of CARROLL

CARROLL founder and CEO M Patrick Carroll understands the value of hard work and dedication. He is nationally recognized as a leader throughout the real estate industry and is a hands-on CEO who works hard at defining and implementing strategic plans that are designed to expand the CARROLL portfolio. 

Entrepreneur M Patrick Carroll has seen more than 88 properties make a successful exit from the CARROLL portfolio, resulting in an average gross IRR of around 26% and $4.2 billion in proceeds from sales. A focus on building up the portfolio and adjusting it for market conditions and fluctuations remains much of the goal for CARROLL and M Patrick Carroll. 

In addition to his role as the CEO and Founder of CARROLL, philanthropist M Patrick Carroll regularly participates in a myriad of local and national charitable endeavors.  He serves on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Tampa Bay and the Jesuit High School Foundation and donates to over 50 charities worldwide.