Selena

Sr. Associate Program Manager, Corporate Social Innovation and Brand, SAS

When I joined SAS as part of their Academy program, I was learning as much as I could about the company, the technology, and the industry. It was a new and exciting whirlwind of information overload that was exactly the challenge I needed. What I didn’t realize was that the company itself was actually the best teacher to some important life lessons. I’ll hold onto these life lessons forever. Thanks, SAS.

Be flexible. We love data at SAS. The more the merrier. The faster it comes, the better. The messier it is, the more fun. Text, numbers, multiple sources…yes please! We take it all and turn it into real insights that let our customers make smarter choices. 

Life translation Experiences that are good and bad, big and small, expected and unexpected, will come throughout life. Remaining agile allows you to take on all those experiences to grow. It won’t always be easy, but you need all of those experiences to learn, improve, and to shape who you become.

Think about your whole self. Compared to other software companies, SAS is unique because we touch the entire analytic life cycle. We cover our clients from data management to the analytics, to all of the visualizations. Not only do we do it all, but we do it all in a seamless platform because we realize you can’t really have one without the other. For example, if you have poor data quality then your visualizations aren’t going to be helpful. Or if you have great analytic models but your business users can’t understand the results then that’s not productive either.

Life translation You have to think about all the different aspects that make up your being and your life. Our basic human needs are broken down into four parts- physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Trying your best to tend to all those components equally is going to keep you thriving. We all know it’s not hard to neglect certain parts (I’m guilty of skipping a workout because I just don’t feel like it). Consciously making an effort to focus on developing each area of your life is the first step to giving yourself the opportunity to live fully.

It’s bigger than just you. It’s great to work for a company and be proud of the work that they do. Not only their product, but the heart of the company. From the company’s environmental program to educational philanthropy, SAS is dedicated to solving real problems. Just google #Data4Good and you will see some of the projects the company continues to work on. This year, SAS continues that commitment with a new mobile app called GatherIQ. The app uses crowdsourcing to allow people all over the world to answer real questions and prove that by using the data right in front of us, we can change lives.

Life translation No matter how successful you are, don’t forget that finding a passion for something bigger than just you can be a rewarding opportunity. The ability to make a lasting impact, no matter how seemingly small, can be something you’ll remember most. After all, there’s only so much wall space for certificates and medals, but there’s always more space for smiles and laughter. 

Read more #SASlife tips from Selena on our blog.