The Easiest Way to Get Your Foot Into the Analytics Industry- Get Some Language of SAS Training

Broadly speaking, a Business Analyst today is expected to have an array of skills. Some of them are intrinsic, but others can be developed. They are:

1. A Clear, Logical and Analytical mind
2. Communication skills
3. Knowledge of Statistics
4. Data Manipulation(this is where the language of SAS comes in handy)
5. Ability to derive insights from the data

Analytics recruiters do expect candidates to have invested in gaining some language of SAS skills  and to have a fair amount of exposure data sets. So yes, one of the easiest ways to begin your analytics career is to get some language of SAS training.

But first of all, let us understand what exactly the language of SAS is:

• The language of SAS is a data processing and statistical analysis language.
• It is popular in the corporate world of analytics where analysts derive insights from the data at hand using statistical methods, because it can handle large and complex datasets very robustly and hence can provide business solutions in a timely manner.
• Another reason for its popularity is because its language is fairly “English” like and so is easier to learn even with no programming experience.
• The language of SAS also has many built in functions that make it very versatile for data manipulation, reporting, visualizations and complex modelling.  Even with a little bit of exposure a user will be able to generate very useful insights from data. There is also a lot of online support available on the SAS support website and SAS forums.
• SAS is also used in research and many other fields where studies using Statistics are done, such as Healthcare industry, psychology, engineering, etc.

Today there are many institutes that offer training in analytics and the language of SAS. You can refer to the article here to find out more about which are the best institutes in India.

When using the language of SAS remember that each problem can be solved in many different ways. So the first step maybe to learn to get to the desired output and then gradually learn through practise which syntaxes are most efficient. One may also want to learn macros as you get hold of the language for efficiency and reusability of the codes.

In the beginning, someone with no prior background of SAS, Statistics or Analytics may find it a little frustrating but very soon, with persistence and practise you will be able to get a comfortable grip over the language of SAS.

If you are ready to begin learning the language of SAS here are a few tips from someone who has been there, done that! All the best.

1) Learn to read the log file carefully for syntax errors. Even if there is no error, check for notes and warnings.

2) Try to solve errors independently while programming.

3) Study the output carefully for logical errors.

4) In case there are logical errors try to rectify them by using SAS support and reducing the complexity of the problem in hand.

5) It may be useful to break the problem at hand into smaller steps and then resolve each one, one step at a time.

6) Do not give up.