Date:         Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:09:39 +0100
Reply-To:     David Young <dyoung@telefonica.net>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         David Young <dyoung@TELEFONICA.NET>
Subject:      Re: SAS Certification
In-Reply-To:  <92BD54B69F8AA446B8446927AAADE7B401DC6939@cpc-1.Colorado.local>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I think the emotion revolves around the fact that most people see it
as something that if it gained wide spread acceptance would obligate
everyone to pay for and spend time taking what is thought to be a
useless course that adds no value.  Nobody makes any comment about SAS
courses aimed at training, its the "Certification" that rubs everybody
the wrong way.  If I said I'd taking a SAS training course on a
subject, employers would no doubt credit me with knowledge on the
subject the same as certification.  But when everything is working
fine and there are hundreds of thousands of SAS users, creating a
certification process is like when Microsoft forces a Windows
"upgrade" down everyone's throat that doesn't do anything but make the
old programs incompatible.  Added cost and re-work, but marginal
value.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008, 12:35:08 AM, you wrote:

KB> It seems like we have this discussion about once a month or so.  I'm
KB> always amazed at the level of emotion surrounding this.

KB> One tangible benefit of certification for my company is being able to
KB> present the credential in a bid when we are competing for a project.
KB> The customer may not be overly familiar with SAS, but if it's good
KB> enough for the SAS Institute...



KB> -----Original Message-----
KB> From: SAS(r) Discussion [mailto:SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of
KB> David Young
KB> Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 3:37 PM
KB> To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
KB> Subject: Re: SAS Certification

KB> I'm not certified, but my evaluation is that SAS has been around so
KB> long that for most people the certification is a little like being
KB> certified to speak English. (Too common to be valuable)

KB> On the other hand, if you have just graduated from college and the
KB> people who want to hire you are, have no SAS programmers on staff and
KB> therefore can not ask the right questions to evaluate you or anyone
KB> else, the certification would probably help you get the job.

KB> Tuesday, February 12, 2008, 10:02:07 PM, you wrote:

LSNNC>> When the SAS Certification test became available in April of
KB> 1999, I
LSNNC>> rushed off to get my certificate.  After being notified that I
KB> passed, I
LSNNC>> was sent a package of materials including a logo that I could put
KB> on my
LSNNC>> business cards.  I did not reprint my business cards, but I am
KB> wondering
LSNNC>> if it now would actually be a liability if I presented my card to
LSNNC>> someone and it read SAS Certified Version 6.

LSNNC>> I do not want to pay the money to upgrade my certification every
KB> time a
LSNNC>> new version of SAS comes out.  I have never benefited from this
LSNNC>> certification, except that I can technically be called SAS
KB> certified if
LSNNC>> I give a presentation.

LSNNC>> I wonder if Version 6 certification would have qualified me for
KB> an
LSNNC>> interview for the job that Paul Dorfman wrote of(preposition).

LSNNC>> Stuart Long
LSNNC>> Contractor
LSNNC>> Westat
LSNNC>> Senior Analyst
LSNNC>> 919-941-8307



KB> --
KB> Best regards,

KB> David Young
KB>                             mailto:dyoung@telefonica.net



--
Best regards,

David Young
                            mailto:dyoung@telefonica.net