Another in a series of posts highlighting GreatPlaceJobs’ workplaces.

By Natalie Roig, GreatPlaceJobs Research Assistant

SAS Institute is one of the largest software companies in the world. SAS has sustained excellence in product development and customer support since 1976 and has focused on their primary mission-delivering superior software and enhancing customer relationships. SAS products are used by over 45,000 customers worldwide and by 92 of the top 100 companies on the 2009 Fortune Global 500 list.

SAS Institute’s employee focused philosophy is if you treat employees as if they make a difference to the company, they will make a difference to the company. The heart of SAS is that satisfied employees create satisfied customers. The SAS president is quoted saying, “We’ve worked hard to create a corporate culture that is based on trust between our employees and the company.”.SAS employees work in an environment that fosters and encourages the integration of the company’s business objectives with their personal needs.

SAS is committed to being a contributing corporate citizen. Since 1976, SAS has been dedicated to academics and has been supporting educational causes. Education is one of SAS’s passion and mission. SAS provides many education opportunities for their employees. To look for jobs with SAS Institute, join GreatPlaceJobs.

SAS Institute in the news:

On June 15, 2009, SAS was ranked as one of the top employers in information technology by Computerworld magazine. The magazines annual “Best Places to Work in IT” featured 100 working environments for technology professionals. Categories include benefits, diversity, career development, training and retention. More than 27,000 IT workers were surveyed. SAS was ranked 19 in this year’s survey out of 100.

On May 28, 2009, SAS developed a product called SAS for Mobile Interaction which was named Communication Solutions Product of the Year by TMC Group. SAS is the leader in business analytics software and services. SAS for Mobile Interaction combines capabilities from SAS Digital Marketing and SAS Marketing Automation to improve customer intimacy via mobile devices. The Product of the Year Award exemplifies the best this industry has to offer. With hundreds of applications this year, the judging process was difficult. SAS demonstrates a commitment to quality and continued development of the communications industry.

Is the job hunt getting lonely? My colleague Alexandra Levit recently wrote about how job seekers are turning to “accountability groups,” teams of job seekers whose goal is to help each other stay motivated and on track.

She shared information from a New York Times article that reported on one such group in suburban Chicago. The article notes what we all recognize: being out of work and job hunting can be difficult and demoralizing. It may be a very lonely process, especially for those unaccustomed to job hunting and for job seekers who don’t know how to conduct a successful search.

The benefit of an accountability group is that job seekers encourage and support each other, network and keep each other motivated and on task in what might otherwise become a very unstructured time.

Alexandra notes,

According to the Times, membership in various networking organizations across the country for unemployed executives and other professionals has ballooned in recent months as the recession has continued its march, sparing not even the highly educated and skilled. Providing a spur as well as solace, the groups offer transition assistance for people who previously led comfortable lives in the middle and upper-middle class.

One thing that struck me about the group described in the New York Times article was that it was organized and run by the job seekers themselves. “Seven of nine members have been out of steady work for six months or longer; the other two are approaching the six-month mark.” The organizer of the group lost his job 16 months ago, struggled to get interviews and wondered if he was “spending too much time applying for jobs online.” The article quotes him as saying, “I’m not doing something right yet.”

Honestly, reading about this group breaks my heart! Clearly, these job seekers could benefit from some professional job hunting advice. What if they knew how much time to spend sending out online applications and had expert feedback about their resumes and other job search correspondence? I am sure they could benefit from up-to-date information about using online tools and social networks. I wonder how different their stories might be if they had engaged the services of a coach before things began to look so glum?

I am happy to announce that I will be facilitating “virtual” accountability groups to help job seekers succeed in this difficult and competitive market. Help is just a phone call away! Participants will benefit from targeted professional coaching, an understanding team of other job seekers for networking and support and a structured program to help keep their job hunt on track.

Please CONTACT ME if you are interested in learning more about how to join a group that is right for you!

Don’t miss the rest of this series:

Read Part I – On-line resources
Read Part II – In-person resources
Read Part III – Your alma mater and other resources

Miriam Salpeter
GreatPlaceJobs Career Advice Expert
www.keppiecareers.com