Getting Started with SAS -- a free webinar for new SAS users -- is now available for on-demand viewing.

During this SAS Talks session, Stacey Syphus and I review the basics of what SAS is, what people use it for, and what you can expect to see as a new user. We talk about SAS programs: what they look like and what they can be used for. You won't learn how to write programs by watching this short webinar, but you'll at least know a SAS program when you see it.

I also demonstrate two of the most common SAS interfaces:

• The SAS windowing environment (a.k.a. "display manager", and a.k.a "base SAS")
• SAS Enterprise Guide

(It's been a long time since I showed off the SAS windowing environment. Within this blog I share lots of information about SAS Enterprise Guide, and don't devote much time to the more traditional interface for SAS. But the fact is each of these tools are in wide use around the world, and a "Getting Started" talk would be incomplete if we didn't include both.)

And as long-time SAS users know, learning to use SAS effectively is more than just learning a skill. It also involves getting "plugged in" to the exceptional SAS user community -- whether that's reading discussion forums, attending user group meetings, or working towards SAS certification.

If you are just getting started with SAS, or if you have colleagues who would appreciate a gentle introduction, give this webinar a try. It could be your first step into an exciting career!