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RPA or robotic process automation is a technology in the field of IT that adopts multi-language and artificial intelligence algorithms to provide efficiency in handling complex, long, and repetitive operations in a business environment. It finds application in virtually all industries, including, banking, insurance, manufacturing, aviation, etc. As the tech gains momentum, both at the national and global market, experts project that the RPA market and demand will be worth over $12 billion by 2022.
A recent search on the famous job website, Linkedin, returned over 2000 open RPA positions. Considering it's a relatively new and emerging tech, it's an indication that the demand for RPA developers will undoubtedly hit the roof with businesses that hire an offshore development team and conventional solo IT professionals.
That said, if you find yourself drawn to this niche and hoping to be among the hottest IT professionals in the market, here's a step-by-step guide on how to become an RPA developer.
Perhaps, you are entirely new to robotic process automation; let's take a quick look at what the term means.
The term "robotics'' in this impressive technology, simply refers to entities that mimic human action. In a nutshell, RPA tech involves the configuring of "software robots'' with data that enables process streamlining and performance of routine tasks. While machines are arriving smarter, the workload isn't getting any lower. This scenario is pushing businesses to adapt. The following are the reasons RPA is becoming a necessity.
Compared to most programming languages, RPA programming is easier to learn. Most of RPA's instructions usually involve manipulation on-screen and transferring processed data to a different system. It'll interest you to know that what an RPA software can do with a line of code will naturally require many lines with other programming languages.
As mentioned earlier, the RPA is a relatively new technology, so it’s not uncommon for an RPA developer to have a different job title at different organizations. For example, an RPA developer is sometimes referred to as a process design engineer or an automation designer/architect.
The responsibilities may also vary from firm to firm; still, competency in automation and an RPA pathway is usually needed as designing and management of workflow automation is one of the common responsibilities of an RPA developer. What's more, testing and code debugging will likely be part of your deliverables as you'll also ensure the process you designed works in line with requirements and the command humans will input.
To become an RPA developer, you'll require the following:
Analytical skills: To design an automated workflow, a thorough analysis of the process is an essential skill. What's more, you may not have to design a new workflow from scratch every time. Sometimes, improving an existing workflow also requires a strong analytical approach.
Problem-solving: As a developer, your codes and designed algorithms may not work as you expect. This is common with automation as mistakes, bugs, etc., may show up at any point of a designed workflow. Knowing what to do to get the problem fixed and prevent its re-occurring is vital.
Planning and documenting: Knowing how to plan and document is not only a skill, it’s also one of the best practices of a software developer. To successfully automate business processes, being able to design workflow diagrams is a must. Therefore, before implementing a design process, strategic planning and documenting is crucial.
To have a quick understanding and become an expert in RPA tech, you might need to be competent in some of the following the programming language application:
If you have gained competence in some or many of the above programming languages, choosing or deciding on the RPA platform to build your skill is the next step. Why? All RPA platforms are essentially built on existing programming languages. You’ll need knowledge of the underlying programming language to customize bots when you are designing automated workflows. Invariably, you’ll become proficient a lot faster with a knowledge of languages. Here are some of the most popular RPA platforms.
UiPath is one of the few RPA platforms that offer free automation solutions to companies interested in streamlining and improving their business operation. They also provide training packages for interested developers.
The packages include a UiPath RPA Academy, UiPath community edition forum, and RPA training videos. This year, UiPath introduced an RPA training program for developers' training and awareness creation. The new programs include RPA Solution Architect, RPA Infrastructure Engineer, RPA Business Analyst, RPA Implementation Methodology, and RPA Awareness.
While there are no basic requirements to acquire one of the UiPath certifications, previous work knowledge in RPA tech may be beneficial. The UiPath certification exam is in two phases, which are the theoretical and practical aspects.
The theory phase involves a-90 minute/45 question with a 70% pass mark. A candidate will have to retake the questions if he or she doesn't achieve the 70% score. The practical aspect of the certification involves a problem that will grant you three and a half hours to solve. You also need to attain a minimum of 70% to pass the practical phase. There are only three attempts allowed per voucher.
You can self-study to pass the exams if you want. However, it might be a good idea to go through training from accredited or reputed training bodies, especially if you are a beginner.
The institute offers online training and an in-class approach for both free and paid RPA programs. Automation Anywhere offers one of the best RPA training as its training partners are among the leading in the RPA market. Automation Anywhere also provides candidates an end-of-program evaluation and RPA proficiency certification.
If you are also looking for a free trial on training, video tutorials, and sample projects, Argos labs is another excellent RPA platform.
This RPA platform offers self-paced and instructor-available training for aspiring RPA developers. Blue Prism RPA platform training is available both in classroom format and virtual mode. Depending on the type of course you take, Blue Prism conducts a certification exam and offers certificates after successful completion.
Udemy is also one of the top RPA learning platforms. It offers two training programs that are both paid. These include the UiPath robotic process automation course and RPA review. The courses dwell on offering participants a large view of RPA and its importance. Udemy brings in an RPA demo to assist new developers design and implement a workflow process plan.
RPA Training by Cloud Foundation.
Cloud foundation offers something that's more tailor-fit for RPA developers getting ready for action. The program here is in the form of job-oriented training modules, which center on helping RPA developers get on a new project. While there are several available training packages, Cloud foundation adopts a general real-time case study approach. With Cloud Foundation, you can have access to your learning materials for a lifetime. This way you can have a refresher whenever you want.
Here’s a little push to make things easy.
If you are quite confident as a .Net programmer, you can kick off your development in RPA with UiPath or Automation Anywhere. These are some of the most common RPA platforms.
Argos Labs is not a bad idea if you are a Python programmer. Argos Labs recently introduced a new plugins store that offers software developers the liberty of building plugins with very little effort using existing Python codes.
Furthermore, Java Programmers can also begin their RPA development journey with Automation Anywhere to make things easier. If you happen to have no proficiency in any programming language, there’s good news. You can still start with any of the above RPA platforms with community editions to get things started from the basics.
The four major employment routes for RPA developers include:
These are consulting RPA firms that provide support to large and fairly large companies. These companies specialize in designing software bots for process automation solutions for client companies.
These are the companies that offer services to RPA companies. If you are looking to be hired, these companies are your best bet as they are usually the largest scoopers of RPA developers. These companies offer services like implementation, system integration. Working for these companies can be rewarding as they offer a wide range of RPA services. It is a good place to grow as a junior developer and a place to dance if you are already an experienced RPA developer.
The companies in this category may not be one of the highest employers of RPA developers but is not a bad place to spread your job search tentacles. Companies that don't want to employ other RPA companies but are interested in automating their process rely on RPA developers to do the job. There are many companies here, so utilizing aggregators of job postings, like Indeed, might be the best approach when job hunting.
Some companies that offer their automation solution to end-users companies also employ the services of RPA developers.
For seasoned or veteran RPA developers, establishing your credibility should naturally be one of your targets even if you have a job with one of the above firms. You can do this by publishing your created software bots and plugins. With the aid of RPA tools, you can also create reusable automation solutions for RPA communities. This will help grow your credibility and possibly monetize your RPA code base.
If you have chosen this path, then I've got good news as RPA has come to stay. With the many projections of growth in the national and global market, increasing demand for RPA talents, the need for robotic process automation tech will only grow more.
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