Learning SAS Should Still Be an Obvious Choice

Last updated on August 29, 2017

Learning or not learning SAS is currently a major issue for data science aspirants. Less than a decade ago it was an easy decision to make. There were lesser choices and SAS was the obvious choice of course. It is not that SAS has lost its functionality or its quality of service has deteriorated nor has the number of SAS users suddenly gone down. It is well known that the number of companies using data analytics for actionable insights has grown dramatically in the last few years and it is true that SAS has lost its monopolistic market owing to the advent of R and Python. But an account of the number of users of various analytics tools will show you that SAS, in spite of its apparently descending popularity, holds a high position on the list. And it is of course one of the biggest and richest software organizations.

The problem with SAS is that it costs a fortune and it is hard for the startups to afford this system. And since they manage their job with Python or R coding, they usually do not use SAS. But the larger companies, at least most of them, are still relying on SAS for their functionality and trustworthiness.

If your question is whether you should learn SAS for a career in data science the answer would definitely be yes. For if you really want a lasting career in data science – a career that scales above the average you cannot just avoid SAS. Data science is a subject that has tremendous depth and you need SAS knowledge to delve in those depths. If you are planning a career in data science or data analytics for that matter why not aim for the best opportunities? The companies that are working with SAS in India are Infosys in Bangalore, Capgemini in Bangalore, Wipro in Kolkata & Bangalore, Cognizant in Chennai, Pune, Gurgaon, just to name a few. The list can go on for a whole paragraph actually and if you consider on a global basis, the list can go on forever. These companies have grown a relationship with SAS and more relationships are being built quite regularly, yes, despite the costly nature of SAS as opposed to the open source solutions like Python and R.

 As a student of analytics you can really add some extra depth to your career by learning SAS. Effective SAS training institutes in Bangalore are offering comprehensive training programmes on SAS data science. Undergoing SAS training can make a vital addition to your analytics skill set. Try looking at any job portal for analytics jobs and you will find a soaring demand for SAS skilled candidates. Get yourself trained to respond to those opportunities. It can never harm you; it, in fact, builds on your knowledge of SQL. It may be not something you need immediately but may prove to be something that you’ll be needing in a few years.