When you first come to SAS there's one word thought that probably crosses a lot of people's minds... Did I just join a cult?
It does feel like that, sometimes. The culture is very enclave-chiq. SAS has created a little micro-city in Cary that has everything you could possibly need, from a post office, barbershop, day care, school, amazing gym and yes, even a cemetery. The way the guards wave, non-stop, to the parading cars that enter the campus in the morning, smile plastered on their faces, you start wondering if you should be drinking the free sweet-tea in the cafeterias. It's a very different work environment than you're used to, and transplants may find it a little off-putting at first. Especially if you're an introvert-type. Not to mention, everyone seems to know everyone's business... It's hard not to, and you'll be invited to team lunches daily, to extracurricular events, and etc. Your comfort and mileage may vary. Some people are probably reading, how is this a con? It's just a little... much... at times.
The only real problems I've seen around campus are just boredom of some of the lifers at SAS, who probably should have retired or left a long time ago, and the flat structure you'll hear a lot of people mention here on Glassdoor.
This is not a company you can easily come in and work your way up the ranks, mostly because of the lifers. Most teams have the 20-30+ year team members who know everyone and have been around since Goodnight. They've married SAS employees, have kids that are SAS employees, etc, etc.
Because of that, it's a really low-key and loose organization, I'm two rungs from the top of the company as a lowly engineer. There's really not too much more for me to progress to... To be fair, there are tons of other opportunities in the company, everything from engineering, media production, finance, to honestly being a SAS employed artist or gardener if I really wig out one day. So, there's really no excuse for feeling stuck or bored in your position.
I'll likely never be a Sr. Director, though, or CTO, or etc. If you want that, you'll probably need to jump ship at some point and go to a more traditional company. Is that a con? I don't know. You'll learn a ton at SAS either way, whether you make it a lifelong journey or just a short stint on your way to other things.
