Date:         Fri, 23 May 2008 09:28:45 -0700
Reply-To:     Jack Hamilton <jfh@STANFORDALUMNI.ORG>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Jack Hamilton <jfh@STANFORDALUMNI.ORG>
Subject:      Re: new to the sas
In-Reply-To:  <00a201c8bce0$d8a27200$832fa8c0@HP82083701405>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes

I completely agree.  There are some SAS jobs, I suspect, which require
neither written nor spoken language skills, but they probably don't
pay well.  Of the two, written skills are probably more important.

Arjun, if a potential employer knows nothing about you except that you
can't spell, you're not likely to get hired.  SAS-L isn't text
messaging: don't spell "you" as "u"; use a spell checker, and a
grammar checker if possible (even though grammar checkers aren't 100%
reliable); learn the rules for capitalization in English; try to get a
better feel for the appropriate use of articles (we would say "New to
SAS", not "new to the sas").




On May 23, 2008, at 7:25 AM, Mary wrote:

> I have no interest in helping you find a job; I do continue to find
> your written language skills to be quite bad, so even if I had a job
> to offer I wouldn't hire you, but I'm not an employer in any case.
> Try www.monster.com; but I'd suggest you work on improving your
> written language skills if you expect to get a postion.
>
> -Mary
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Arjun A
> To: Mary
> Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 2:28 AM
> Subject: Re: new to the sas
>
>
> Hi mary ,
>
>  I Really want to say thanks  for giving such a valueble
> information .Let me tell u one thing that i have already  been
> trained in sas, during mba itself .Please give me u r valueble
> inforamtion that where can i get the oppurtunities and what sort of
> steps has to be taken to get job .
>
> Mary <mlhoward@avalon.net> wrote:
>   A few points on "choosing SAS as a career".
>
>   Choosing SAS implies that you will either become a computer
> programmer (usually with a strong database/data mining perspective),
> or a statistical programmer/statistician.  In order to become that
> you'd need:
>
>   1.   Strong written language skills, which is the ability to write
> clearly so that everybody can understand what you have written.
> Your language in asking the question below is very lax, in that you
> are using few capitals, poor spelling, and substitute letters like
> "r" and "u" which would not be easy for everyone to understand, even
> English speakers, let alone people whose first language is not
> English.   Programmers often set up work and then move on to another
> position, and the documentation and programs they leave behind has
> to speak for itself.
>
>   **Arjun, I have to say that your language below is not encouraging
> in terms of your ability to become a SAS programmer.**
>
>   2.  The ability to concentrate and work for very long periods of
> time.   Programmers often sit for 8 hours a day and don't talk to
> anyone except perhaps on e-mail.   Very social people usually can't
> do this very well.
>
>   3.   The ability to conform to programming standards, such as
> indentation and programming style.
>
>   4.  The ability to problem-solve.
>
>   5.  A foundation.  You've got an MBA, and I assume that means that
> you have little foundation in the way of computer programming
> courses or statistical courses.  You'd really have to have some sort
> of foundation in order to do well.  I think someone could acquire a
> foundation, but I'm wary of those with no foundation really being
> able to become a SAS programmer.   An example of a foundation would
> be:
>   a.  Taking 10 or so SAS Institute Courses in the area that you
> want to specialize in (SAS database or SAS statistical programming).
>   b.  Taking a computing certificate in Microsoft Office (XP, Word,
> Excel, Access), because SAS programmers often interact with these
> products, or some sort of equivalent.
>   c.  Taking a number of applied statistics courses (for data mining/
> SAS statistical programming.
>   d.  Taking a number of object-oriented computer programming
> courses (.NET, C#, JAVA, PowerBuilder).
>
>   Becoming a SAS programmer takes years, not just a few months.  If
> you are someone who is willing to engage in continuing education and
> constant learning for years and years, then you can become a better
> and better SAS programmer as you go.
>
>   But then, I think any profession requires a foundation and then
> constant improvement.   My brother is a carpenter, and started out
> as an apprentice to a master carpenter, and also took classes at the
> community college.  It was only after years of training that he was
> able to start his own business and actually call himself a carpenter.
>
>   You asked my opinion!
>
>   -Mary
>     ----- Original Message -----
>     From: gets_arjun@YAHOO.COM
>     To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>     Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2008 2:02 AM
>     Subject: new to the sas
>
>
>     HI all ,
>
>          This is arjun and  i did my mba. i would like to choose sas
> as a
>     career . I need u people suggistions that wether will it be a
> suitable
>     for me  r not and onemorething is if i choose sas how the future
> will
>     be