Robotic process automation is a fast-growing and highly sought-after professional field. Here’s an introduction to the requirements and responsibilities.
Robotic process automation combines big data, hyperconnectivity, and machine learning to automate routine business processes at practically any scale. It is a critical component of the fourth industrial revolution, which revolves around leveraging automation to drive up efficiency and reduce costs.
Contrary to popular belief, RPA and related technologies are expected to create more jobs than they render obsolete. One of the most important of these emerging job roles is that of the RPA developer. These are the highly skilled and sought-after technical professionals tasked with designing, building, implementing, and maintaining RPA systems that meet the demands of today’s businesses.
Being a relatively new field, talented RPA developers are currently in drastically short supply. In fact, the talent shortage is one of the main barriers to digital transformation and innovation, with almost two thirds of organizations claiming it to be a key concern. Despite this, as many as 90% of organizations still hope to deploy RPA by the end of 2022.
Given these key trends, there has never been a better time to be an RPA developer. In this article, we will look at what it takes to become an RPA developer, before exploring their various roles and responsibilities.
Most job placements require candidates to have a degree in computer science. Despite being a primarily technical discipline, RPA developers must possess a variety of hard and soft skills. These are the most important hard skills, which can be learned through traditional education and on-the-job training:
Furthermore, RPA developers must possess a variety of soft skills, which are a combination of personality traits. These include excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills, close attention to detail, and the ability to work effectively as a team. RPA developers also need to be able to think beyond the technical nature of their field by garnering a deep understanding of business use cases. Communication is another essential soft skill, since RPA developers will often find themselves in situations where they need to explain highly technical processes in a way that less technical and more business-orientated audiences can understand.
RPA developers do not usually work alone, and instead are part of a broader team, especially when working on larger projects. Larger and more complex projects often bring in dedicated RPA business analysts and other specialists like quality control testers and RPA controllers. However, a highly skilled and experienced RPA developer will typically have a strong working knowledge of all these areas. The key roles and responsibilities include:
Several of the major providers of automation tools, such as UiPath and Automation Anywhere, provide certification programs for specific RPA-related jobs. UiPath offers two certifications – one for junior RPA specialists in any role, and another for senior RPA experts. Automation Anywhere splits its courses into role-specific areas, such as Citizen Developer, Bot Developer, and Business Analyst.
An RPA certification is highly sought-after by employers looking to assess the competence of applicants. From an employee standpoint, a certification might not be obligatory for working in the industry, but it does greatly expand one’s opportunities and provides a shortcut into the global developer community.
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