With aspirations of working in the accounting trade, Elizabeth Acree never imagined she’d land a job in the construction space.
“I had just turned 19, and I was looking for a normal job that I could do to help me get through college,” Elizabeth said. “I came across a Scott Contracting (now IHC Scott) position and was quickly contacted for an interview. The rest is history.”
Elizabeth didn’t realize at first that the job she obtained could become a career that would complement her studies. She is currently enrolled in online classes at South Plains College, working to finish a degree in accounting. And she has plans to get even more education from there.
“I’ve always loved numbers,” Elizabeth said. “When I first started accounting, I thought it was going to be a lot of math, but I’ve learned that it’s more of an organization of numbers. Numbers are my favorite. They just click for me.”
She’s held multiple positions and has worn multiple hats in her nearly four years with IHC Scott. Elizabeth appreciates the opportunities afforded to align with her interests.
“I was a project coordinator, but my current title is project administrator,” Elizabeth said. “I started as a receptionist, and when I interviewed for the position, I expressed an interest in accounting. After three months of working as the receptionist, I was asked if I’d be interested in moving to the accounting department. About a year later, I fully moved into the project accounting role (the title eventually changed to project coordinator). It’s been perfect to get some hands-on training while going to school.”
Every day is different — an aspect of the job that Elizabeth relishes.
“With my job, I like that there’s almost always a mystery of what’s going to happen during the day,” Elizabeth said. “You don’t just have your routine stuff. There’s always something that you haven’t come across before, and you have to dig into it, learning a bunch of new stuff almost daily. That’s what intrigues me about this job. It’s never the same.”
And the learning never stops. Elizabeth has come to know so much about the industry and hopes to never stop discovering more about her trade.
“I love working in the construction industry,” Elizabeth said. “It’s just interesting to see how things like residential homes are built. As someone who doesn’t have a background in construction, you think they just put stuff in the ground and the house is built with wood. But it’s interesting to see how much work actually goes into building homes.”
It’s that interest that keeps Elizabeth at IHC Scott.
“I’m hoping to stay with the company for a very long time, moving up within as I get my degrees,” Elizabeth said. “There’s lots of room for growth in this company, and you can tell that by how far people have moved up already. So, I’m hoping to stay here and just keep going up, trying different positions.
“The best thing that I love about IHC Scott is that it’s like a family. Everyone looks out for each other. We all have general concerns, not just about our professional lives, but also about our personal lives, and everyone is thoughtful and caring. It’s just a great environment to work in.”