Meet David

How long have you been at the company, and what kind of different jobs have you done at Random House?
I have been with the company for nine years, which includes five years as the Lead Web Developer for Books on Tape, and another four years in my current position with Random House, Inc.

What’s a typical day like for you?
Typically, I spend most of my day coding new web pages or problem-solving existing web pages. I send and receive a lot of e-mail, mostly discussing small administrative or coding tasks that need to be accomplished within a day or two. I have a few meetings each week to discuss project and schedule status. Occasionally, on large projects I have the opportunity to spend time designing web pages, which is a treat.

What attracted you to your position? What is your favorite thing about your job?
I was attracted to my current position because it allowed me to branch out within the company and work on a wide variety of projects. It also made me part of a team of web developers, so I have some camaraderie. Everyone in this team has different strengths, and we are able to get more accomplished, and produce higher-quality work, as a result of being able to work together.

My favorite thing about my job is the variety of work; I can be creating a page for automated election news one day, and creating a Flash audio player the next.

Tell me about a site or a campaign that you’re proud of. What did you do and what were the results?
One site that I am particularly proud of is the Random House Signed Editions page (www.randomhouse.com/signed/). Working with another developer and with two designers, we were able to come up with a way to dynamically display cover images and author photos so that they look like hardcover books and picture frames. Instead of having to create a new composite image each time a new book is featured, the image is created on the fly. It took a bit of extra time to develop it this way, but it saves a lot of time in the long run for subsequent updates.

What’s the culture like at Random House and in your division?
We may not be as wild as other companies with basketball courts in their offices, but I think we have a good amount of fun. We bring snacks to our internal meetings; we joke with each other on the phone, and everyone is always willing to go out of his or her way to help each other. The overall morale is always high at Random House because of the excellent benefits and laid-back work environment. Every day is casual day, but we are able to maintain a level of respect that’s important to the success of the business.

What new opportunities exist for Random House in today's digital environment?
Random House can make its books available anytime, anywhere thanks to technologies like Random House Insight (which allows a reader to browse through the pages of a book online) and downloadable audiobooks. Because Random House has so much content available in its archives, the possibilities are endless. We can constantly reinvent ourselves, or better yet supplement ourselves, to support any new technology as it appears on the horizon.

Do you have any advice for someone who would like to work at Random House in a position like yours?
My advice is to practice multi-tasking, and to never stop learning new skills. We have to stay apace with evolving technologies, so it’s important to be informed about new tools, new web sites, and new user habits.

How does Random House support your professional and personal development?
Random House supports my professional development by offering tuition reimbursement if I decide to take any job-related classes. They also offer the freedom within my daily routine to research new and exciting technologies that might be useful for the company. One example of Random House supporting personal development is the annual physical fitness reimbursement, which can be used for health club membership or fitness equipment.

How does Random House’s work life balance compare to other industries?
Random House has definitely been excellent in this area. They offer bereavement time when a loved one passes away, a generous amount of vacation time, and my managers have always been very understanding when I occasionally need to schedule a doctor’s appointment during work hours or take an unexpected vacation or “personal” day. They have parties to honor life events, such as weddings, relocations, and births, in addition to the usual birthdays and promotions.

What has been your most challenging/rewarding/memorable task/project so far?
The most challenging and consequently rewarding task was developing a web-based Insight application, to use both internally (for instance, on www.houseofcollectibles.com) and to show external clients the abilities of Insight to search and display pages of books.

What are your thoughts on the community/social and environmental initiatives that Random House is currently supporting/pursuing?
Random House has an excellent Green Committee, and I feel better knowing that my company is doing its part to help the environment and conserve resources. One of the best benefits of being a Random House employee is their charitable contribution match. If I donate money to a cause, Random House will match my donation. This means that Random House respects its employees choices about which causes are the most important.