Meet Ben

How long have you been at the company, and what kind of different jobs have you done at Random House?

I have been with Random House for 9 years. During that time, I have worked with Fodor’s Travel in launching their web site and their content feeds, our corporate intranet site – myhouse, and am currently involved in developing our e-commerce capabilities. I also reviewed, recommended, implemented and supported two statistics solutions for our internal and external web properties.

What’s a typical day like for you?
The days typically are based on what phase of the project I am in. If we are in the design phase, it involves meeting with the users or project sponsors to flush out the details and then brainstorming on the implementation details (what tools to choose, who does what, etc.). During implementation phases a typical day involves coding and coordinating with other technical leads and users. During testing/rollout phases it involves working with the users or our customer service/production/IT departments from Westminster to quickly deal with issues that might crop up. 

What attracted you to your position? What is your favorite thing about your job?
It all started with the friendliness of everyone on my first day interviewing here. The projects that were put forth and the technology that I had to work with added to the attraction.

My favorite part of my job is working with my peers. They are all very bright and there is a lot that I learn from them on a regular basis. They are all open to trying out new things and do not hesitate in pushing the edges of technology. Senior management is also very supportive of the ideas we put forth and values our input highly. 


Tell me about a site or a campaign that you’re proud of. What did you do and what were the results?
The day we launched our e-commerce site was memorable. It was the first time we were reaching out to the consumer and the response far exceeded expectations. The success of this initiative led to even more exciting things such as offering limited-edition signed books, selling chapters online, and rolling out our first Canadian e-commerce site. 

What’s the culture like at Random House and in your division?
Our division is very flexible in terms of what we work on. At any given time, a person could be working on multiple projects spanning different technology areas. If one is stuck on a problem, there are many people over here who go out of their way to help you out. We have people in IT coming from all different backgrounds, different industries, and different areas of expertise; I feel this makes us stronger and more flexible as a team. 

What new opportunities exist for Random House in today's digital environment?
Digital content is here to stay. To that end, Random House has digitized all its content and is actively working on getting this out into the market. I am a big Macintosh fan and I would love it if Random House worked with Apple to try to create the next iPod for books. This would entice a whole new generation of readers. 

Do you have any advice for someone who would like to work at Random House in a position like yours?
We have people with diverse backgrounds, which adds to the knowledge base over here. Having a resume in some other field helps, e.g., having a background in linguistics would help in automated text analysis. You have to be smart, but in addition you need to have the ability to work in diverse teams and be open to receiving as well as sharing ideas. Good communication skills are also a must. 

How does Random House support your professional and personal development?
I have the freedom in my job to explore new technologies, which allows me to stay current in the industry. Random House also offers seminars on topics that I find helpful such as public speaking and time management. 

How does Random House’s work life balance compare to other industries?
I think Random House provides me with a better work-life balance than most companies—the generous vacation package and the sabbatical programs, plus all the health and wellness seminars offered add up to a very attractive package, especially compared to other businesses where you are chained to your desk (virtually of course). 

What has been your most challenging/rewarding/memorable task/project so far?
Working on the Fodor’s Travel Talk Forums was probably one of the most challenging projects. Fodor’s has an active forums community. I remember when we launched the redesigned forums a couple of years ago the users were commenting on it before we even had the time to look at it ourselves. This happened at two in the morning. The comments were favorable, so it most certainly helped. It was rewarding to see one’s work being commented upon by people all over the world. 

What are your thoughts on the community/social and environmental initiatives that Random House is currently supporting/pursuing?
I feel good to be part of a company that is actively engaged in the stewardship of the planet; and it’s important to me that Random House supports the causes that I care about with its matching donation program. I also like the electronic recycling bins they have installed on all floors.