Houghton Mifflin Update

8 Jan 2007

In a conversation today with my project manager the length of the project came up. As it turns out, this particular project will continue for two years beyond this initial six months. It is expected that the team members onboard now will remain a part of the project for its duration.

So, I feel quite secure now for the next 2½ years.

I need to get out my list... a new computer (a work-related expense, of course), a new desk chair (still work-related), some awesome tires for my Jeep, maybe some new subwoofers,... oh, wait. Margie has a list, too.


L. J.'s First Day at Houghton Mifflin

5 Dec 2006

This past Thursday (28 Nov) was my first day of work on the Houghton Mifflin project. I was in meetings most of the day, a total of 5½ hours over a 6½-hour period.

There are four positions of reviewers in this project. Listed from highest responsibility to lowest, they are:
  • Editorial Reviewer (ER) - reviews pedagogy and checks for content consistency between texts and software, including reading programming code
  • Algorithm Reviewer (AR) - checks in detail the structure of the software code, hunts for programming bugs
  • Accuracy Checker (AC) - checks the math for correct steps and answers
  • Free Reader (FR) - checks for grammar, punctuation, and American English standards
I was assigned ER! - Yeah I was. - I can't complain about the pay!

Below is a picture of me participating in the morning session of meetings via teleconference and webcast. You can't beat those work conditions!


L. J. Gets Houghton Mifflin

20 Nov 2006

(Click Here for Pronunciation)

Stacey called today to give me the news! She indicated that T.J., the hiring manager at Houghton Mifflin, was indeed wanting to bring me onto the project. The paperwork is on the way, and I will be starting November 30.

Click HERE to see the document they sent me about the project and positions (in which I've marked errors in color).

At this point I have the following general information about the job:

  • Position: Math Accuracy Reviewer
  • Subject Areas: Developmental Math, College Algebra, Pre-Calculus
  • This is a Six-Month Project
  • Fulltime
  • The Salary Range (a range that pleased me)
  • Work is done via Internet
Houghton Mifflin is based in Boston, MA, but this is a Telecommuting position to be worked from a home office!


Houghton Mifflin Interview

16 Nov 2006 Thursday the 16th

Just a quick update...

This morning at 10:00AM, the hiring manager from Houghton Mifflin called me for a phone interview. A total of five interviewers were involved in this conference call.

They seemed pleased with my qualifications, and the majority of my responses to their questions met with comments such as "Excellent" and "Wonderful."

A couple of days before this interview, I was e-mailed a document that briefly described the project and the positions. I was asked what position(s) I felt would best suit me. When discussing the proofreading position (grammar, punctuation, layout, etc.), I indicated to them that I had found three errors in the project overview document, itself: a compound modifier that was not hyphenated, a misspelled word, and the phrase "most unique" which is incorrect as uniqueness has no degree. I heard a few pleased chuckles.

In the next couple days I can expect to be informed of the remarks made by the interviewers. The manager indicated that I may be invited to have a second phone interview. So, we will have to wait a little longer. Seems there's always one more step.

In my Thank-You-For-The-Interview e-mail, I included a link to a sampling of my evaluations from my professional portfolio.

http://www.ljfox3.com/port

Yeah, I feel it went very well, indeed. Check back soon.