In today’s competitive marketplace and quickly evolving technological landscape, keeping knowledge current and developing hard skills has become more important than ever – and students and professionals alike are searching for opportunities to stand out from the crowd.
In the analytics space, many are turning to career certificates in data and analytics, including SAS certifications, to boost their resumes and capture employers’ attention. But what specific value do these certifications add? SAS users share their experiences earning these certifications and discuss three advantages they provided in their career growth.
1. A chance to validate your expertise
According to Francisco Domínguez Sagarena, Director of Automation, Analytics and Data for Grupo Salinas, getting certified through the SAS Academy for Data Science not only allowed him to learn in a structured, interactive environment with a comprehensive curriculum – it also allowed him to validate his expertise.
Considering the rapid growth of data science and the competition for data-related positions in Mexico, Domínguez Sagarena found certification in data science to be significant. Many who hold the title of “data scientist” in Mexico have backgrounds in STEM-related fields. But few have formal training in data science – which makes it difficult for employers to recruit top talent. Pursuing certification from a trusted institution, he said, helped him become more visible to recruiters and convey his skill set to employers.
“I believe that these certifications really help companies choose the best talent in much more agile hiring processes. I really appreciated certification for that reason,” Sagarena explains. “It opened doors for me in a very clear and evident way when human resources or other companies began to look for people trained in data science, specifically in SAS.”
2. Helps you find and create career opportunities
Anja Vrečer, a graduate student at the University of Copenhagen pursuing a degree in computer science, prepared for SAS certification using SAS Skill Builder for Students, a free platform with self-paced video tutorials and training materials, to expand her career opportunities for the future.
“Judging by the career opportunities available for SAS-certified professionals, I felt this was an opportunity not to be missed,” she says.
According to Vrečer, certification allows students to develop in-demand skills for a growing field and obtain digital badges that make connecting with companies looking for these particular skills easier.
“Having the badge includes metadata which enables you to connect with companies looking for individuals with your qualifications,” she explains.
3. You gain globally-recognized credentials
For Pradnya Pethkar, earning a SAS certification helped her secure a full-time job as a data scientist at Harmoney, an online lending platform, upon earning her master’s degree in analytics from Auckland University of Technology – where she first discovered SAS.
“I was immediately drawn to SAS when it was first introduced to me," she explains. "I had worked on a case study, entirely completed using SAS – to build the most cost-effective 24-hour schedule for the water distribution network and provide a cost-benefit analysis of the proposed changes."
According to Pethkar, SAS is not only a powerful, comprehensive tool – it’s one that leading organizations around the globe are using, which makes SAS certifications particularly valuable.
“SAS certifications are recognized worldwide and help to display competent skills, which is an advantage for the career,” she says. “SAS is also a groundbreaking tool for advanced predictive and statistical analytics used by top banks and financial corporations to establish insights from their financial data. Learning SAS will definitely help in the long run.”
Take your career to the next level
According to Domínguez Sagarena, Vrečer and Pethkar, SAS certifications make it easier to seize promising career opportunities in a global marketplace. Obtaining a certification from a globally recognized company allows individuals to gain sought-after data skills and communicate the value they offer to employers worldwide.
