Date:         Fri, 5 Nov 2004 16:31:30 -0800
Reply-To:     James Green <jamesgreen55@YAHOO.CA>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         James Green <jamesgreen55@YAHOO.CA>
Organization: http://groups.google.com
Subject:      Re: SAS Jobs in Canada?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

my_sas_spot@yahoo.com (Myra Oltsik) wrote in message news:<17796622.0411030628.7055eaf7@posting.google.com>...
> Does anyone know who the job market is in Canada for SAS programmers
> right now? Is it really too cold in Toronto in the winter? In
> Montreal? After yesterday, I might be considering emigrating north.
> Just want to know how hard it might be.
>
> Myra


Hi Myra,

Toronto is warm and sunny all year round, and a popular vacationing
spot for people from Ottawa lol.. ( Really though! Torontonians have
it easy compared to us! We get 25 cms of snow they get mild rain!(also
they have the Maple Leafs and we have the Sens(errr HAD) so that makes
the choice an easy one-Ottawa,  ;) @ Laura).

I am in Ottawa and there is quite a large SAS community here, no where
near as large as some of our Fellow American Cities (or Toronto) for
certain but many companies use the software, and I dare say it is a
valued skillset when combined with the right experience and education.
(and no I am not a recruiter though I may sound like one!)

I am in Telecom, one of the Giants that uses SAS in many areas from
budgeting and forecasting to manufacturing (SPC etc..), general data
warehousing, reporting and processing. Many if not all of our
competitors use SAS as well. (telecom corridor so to speak).

The largest group by far however (in Ottawa); is the government,
almost all divisions; from Stats Canada, Health Canada all the way to
the department of National Defence. But as someone here indicated,  a
grasp of the French language is almost mandatory where government jobs
are concerned. (though again because SAS experience is 'rarer' than
most languages, you can get around it).

There is also a demand for SAS skills in some of the large
Pharmeceutical companies but I have no personal knowledge of this
arena. (word of mouth)

So come on up, have a beer and a beaver Tail (A winterlude treat-
basically a flat doughnut)!

(err and don't forget we lose most of our Salary to Taxes, pay 15% on
every purchase, and are paid in Canadian Dollars lol-when negotiating
your salary stick to your guns!).

keep your stick on the ice, EH!

PS; If you are really serious, let me know I can fire some links your
way on Companies that I know use SAS etc.. Perhaps we could trade
jobs!

James