Yes, I read the baby books.  I visited the websites.  I swaddled a football.  I was prepared.

When my daughter came into the world last year there was a small comfort that I had done about all I could do to prepare for her arrival.  I say a small comfort because there really isn’t a great deal of ease and relaxation to be found in four hours of sleep a night and lots of crying.  The baby cried as well. One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in my brief journey into fatherhood is that knowledge needs to be applied and tested to really become a skill you can rely on.

Is SAS like my toddler?  Well, no.  SAS is much better with math, and my daughter is better at throwing a ball.  However, both parenting and working with SAS can be rewarding, long-term pursuits.  SAS can be simple.  A short WHERE or IF statement can be a powerful tool that can be learned in minutes.  SAS can also be complex, with some people devoting 40 years to continual learning and career growth to do extraordinary things with SAS.  Regardless of your current skill level, you should take a serious look at SAS certification if you’re interested in using SAS in your work.

Why?  Let’s count the reasons…

SAS certification can help guide your learning

Everyone knows that success comes from preparation.  If you need some extra motivation to grow your SAS knowledge, choose a certification credential that you are interested in, and follow the training path.  Each certification page has an ‘Exam Preparation’ tab with the courses and books that can be used to prepare for the exam.  This is a great way to organize your learning plan. SAS Training offers a wealth of courses.  Concentrating on one certification at a time can help you focus on reaching your goals.

Take a badge everywhere you go

After you pass your exam, you will receive a digital badge that you can use in an email signature, digital resume and on social media.  The digital image contains metadata which verifies your qualifications and skills tested.  With SAS listed as one of the most valuable career skills by employers, this badge could help you earn a higher salary and position yourself for the career you want.  It’s also safely stored online so you can’t lose it.

A message from your piggy bank: Do it now!

Now is a great time to get a SAS certification (don’t just take my word for it – watch this video to learn why).

To get you started, SAS offers Programming 1 and Statistics 1 e-Learning for free to help you prepare for several credentials. SAS is also offering two promotions for a limited time.  Certification exams are being offered for 50% off at the Analytics Experience conference in Las Vegas.  Yes, come to Las Vegas and save money…on certification anyway.  View the conference website for prices and exam times. In addition to the conference discount, SAS is also celebrating 100,000 credentials being awarded and offering a discount on exams taken through Sept. 18, 2016.

At the end of the day, getting certified is a great way to grow and test your SAS skills.  It’s a low risk and high reward venture. Your test scores are kept private, but, upon passing, you can tell the world by adding your credential to your résumé and sharing your digital badge on social media and through emails.  Don’t miss your chance. Join me in Las Vegas and get certified.