#lifelearner: What was your first job, and what's your job now?

[BeverlyBrown]

Reply to this post with your answer. Willing to share a picture? Use the "Insert Image" button! 

Why?

You're an inquisitive bunch, so you're probably thinking, "What's this FOR?"  At SAS Global Forum, a featured theme will be Lifelong Learning. We want to hear from you about your professional journey and what you’re looking forward to learning next. 

We’ll prompt you with a series of questions, and this is the first! Our talented illustrator @LisaMorton will capture your responses in an impressive mural in the Lower Quad. Come by and check it out!

[MichelleHomes]

First job: Store assistant at 15 years at a perfume counter over Christmas break. Loved customer interaction and selling.

After university: A technical graduate at SAS Institute Australia in 1997.

Today: 20 years later continuing to be a SAS software advocate, partner and trainer as Co-Founder and Business Development Manager at Metacoda where we help keep SAS platforms secure.

Learn Next: Enjoy the life learning journey personally and professionally. Continue to innovate, share, be inspired by technology and opportunities and have lots of fun along the way!!!

#AlwaysLearning #LifeLearner

[BeverlyBrown]

I can totally see you at a perfume counter! Now you're creating a sweet fragrance...Eau de secure SAS platform. 

[MichelleHomes]

Missed seeing @LisaMorton's mural at SAS Global Forum but stoked to see it in the iTWire SAS Global Forum recap article - http://www.itwire.com/data/77619-sas-%E2%80%93-saving-analytics%E2%80%99-soul.html

I was stoked as I saw in the photograph there was Technical Graduate SAS Institute Australia and the drawing... a KOALA!!!!

Was there a photograph of the final mural?

Cheers,

Michelle

[ChrisHemedinger]

Hi @MichelleHomes -- @LisaMorton just provided me with a pic of the final mural.  It's pretty awesome.

To see the image full size, follow this link.

[MichelleHomes]

It sure is awesome! Thanks for sharing @ChrisHemedinger and LOVE your work @LisaMorton!!!!

Lisa - I'm curious to know your thought process to the placement of a drawing, considering the information was provided over the conference.

Thanks!

Michelle

[LisaMorton]

Hi Michelle - such a great question! Over the course of the conference, we asked folks to respond to questions about their first jobs, their current jobs, what they are learning or teaching now and what they want to learn or teach next. It quickly became clear that the individual storylines are nicely represented in a mandala approach (moving from the outside toward the center of the mural) rather than a customary linear approach. It is the perfect way to illustrate the common interests of our SAS community and spark interest in what life learners are exploring. The drawings help made evident connections between our conference attendees that could otherwise be hidden or even unknown.

I hope this helps answer your inquiry!

[MichelleHomes]

Thanks Lisa for your explanation. Helps understand the approach and design. Fantastic work!

[MichelleHomes]

Thought I'd add to the thread a link to Larry LaRusso's blog post Nurturing the #lifelearner in all of us which gives some background to the idea of the #lifelearner theme and where the project stemmed. Thanks for sharing Larry!

Cheers,

Michelle

[falcon69]

First Job:  Delivered early morning paper to 100 homes on foot for the Bangor Daily News before school in sun, rain, and blizzards.

After University: Econometrician at the Air Force Research Lab in 1970.

Today: 40+ years later, independent consultant, certified SAS programmer and data scientist guiding analytic teams, using SAS and SQL for retirement forecasting, survey analysis, and other analytic tasks.

Learn Next:  Learning SAS hash objects, macro programming, and use of lags.

[ccarel]

First Job:  Worked on the farm driving the tractor - plowing, harvesting wheat, alfafa, cotton, (mostly tearing up machinery 🙂

After University: Worked as a Child & Adolescent Health Epidemiologist for state and used SAS.

Today:  Programmer and quality consultant in the Supportive & Palliative Care field using SAS and other tooks for ETL, metric development, analytical support, and a laundry list of items to better serve my organization.

Learn Next:  Learning a multitude of data visualization products and outputs.

[ptimusk]

First job: House painter painting family house and friend's of families houses.
After university: A computer programmer using FORTRAN IV and making a database of X-ray crystallography structure determinations from the world's research journals.
Today: 40 years later continuing to be a computer programmer now with SAS. Working in our national statistical agency producing relevant and timely and quality statistics that matter.
Learn Next: Finish my master's degree in systems sciences, continuing volunteering in social service and first response in my city. Be as healthy, as I can be.

[art297]

First job: Helping fund my way through graduate school (in addition to the help from the GI bill) working as a Research Analyst for the West Virginia Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, using SAS, before it became SAS (i.e., the Statistical Analysis System) in 1974

After university: Institutional Researcher, then VP of a research and evaluation firm, then Director of an office that set auto insurance rates for Canada

Today: Attempting to fill a void in the analytical community by establishing a matching database of all analytical professionals

Learn Next: Always something new to learn in SAS (currently learning hash object and regular expressions)

Art, CEO, AnalystFinder.com

[louisehadden]

First (real) job: Bus Girl at 14 at Interlaken Inn near Lime Rock Racetrack in Connecticut.  Paul Newman and Robert Redford were regular visitors / race car fanatics.  I got to serve the Newmans breakfast in bed.

After college and one year of law school: Legal intern for the State of Massachusetts, researching the legality of an Arts Lottery

Today: Too many years later, I've been using SAS since right out of college and love that my job (government program evaluation and research) directly benefits people.  I've also brought my SAS analytic skills to my volunteer life - analyzing the Safewalk program which helps train humans and rehome shelter dogs.

Learn Next: I'll never stop! I'd love to integrate more types of software into my SAS programming.  I am learning so much by having three young mentorees in my job currently - they ask the most wonderful questions and it's very inspirational.

#AlwaysLearning #LifeLearner #SASforGood

[Peter_C]

First job: tourist info bureau in Glasgow (1967) =where to find anything in Glasgw <---- then, not now 

After university: ICL systems engineer (1970) in City of London 

first SAS: making graphics for property investment report at v.large life and pensions company (1980) 

first consultancy contract: help Leeds Permanent Building Society market research department (1993) 

Today: practising my SAS Global Forum presentation (due in 6/7 days time) an attempt to fill the void on retirement from role as SAS Consultant developer on contract in London, UK

Learn Next: creating web training packages : subject= base SAS