Why & How you should kickstart your career in Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

By end of year, experts predict the RPA industry will nearly double in size from 2020. And that’s just the beginning for this new and rapidly growing $2.9B industry. In 2022, an astounding 80% of businesses say they plan to ramp up automation efforts–specifically in areas that support revenue growth like AI and robotic process automation (RPA). As a result, market leaders anticipate at least 33% growth annually through 2028. Yes, career in Robotic Process Automation is bright: Enduring demand for RPA products is unequivocal, and by default, the need for RPA jobs is at an all-time high.

If you’re considering a shift in your career in Robotic Process Automation, now is the time to learn more about RPA technology and what you need to get started in the field. Here we review what RPA means and why this technology is critical for businesses as we explore RPA jobs, salaries, and certifications.

Let’s get started.

What is RPA?

Robotic process automation (RPA) is a software technology that automates time-consuming, error-prone, and tedious digital tasks using robots that mimic human behavior. RPA “bots” can interact with any application the way humans do, operating nonstop, with precision and accuracy.

RPA Benefits for Business

Robotic process automation bots drastically optimize business functions, reduce time spent on monotonous tasks, improve efficiency, and free up administrative resources for businesses to focus on innovation and value-added roles. Key areas that see the most benefit are human resources, finance, accounting, inventory management, payroll, and customer support.

Quality and efficiency: No matter how simple, every human-driven task is subject to errors that cost time and money to fix later. Invoicing mistakes, for example, cause late payments and disrupt cash flow. By implementing RPA, businesses can eliminate errors and improve reliability.

Improved customer satisfaction: With improved accuracy and faster results, bots can help businesses improve client satisfaction. For example, integrating RPA with existing customer chatbots allows the bots to route customers to a quicker resolution effectively.

Cost savings: By automating human-driven tasks, businesses can reduce overhead costs and accomplish more with less, which is increasingly valuable at a time of labor shortages across industries.

Real World RPA Examples for Businesses

RPA technology has a vast trove of business use cases, which makes RPA jobs extraordinarily valuable across industries. RPA connects to system APIs, integrating various application software and services. It also follows if-then decision rules, scrapes data from documents, makes complex calculations, and learns how to mimic human-based processes, to name a few. RPA delivers real-world benefits that save companies time and money when adequately integrated by automation professionals. RPA technology:

• • Integrates with chatbots to improve performance
  • Opens mail and attachments
  • Manages inventory statuses and levels
  • Operates payroll tasks such as time entry validations
  • Onboards new employees, clients, and patients
  • Processes invoices, deliveries, and purchase orders
  • Completes forms and move files and folders (i.e. insurance claims and tax information)

Jobs in RPA

Robotic process automation has become a popular and lasting trend across enterprises worldwide. In fact, a basic LinkedIn job search for “RPA developers” results in nearly 70,000 openings in the US alone. And that just scratches the surface of all RPA developer and non-developer roles, which include:

• • Intern to Senior-level RPA developers
  • Automation consultants
  • Process architects
  • Project managers
  • Analysts
  • Software engineers
  • Marketing managers
  • Sales and business development executives

What is RPA Developer?

RPA developers are not necessarily coders, although programming skills are a plus and may be required in some positions. Instead, RPA developers refer to a broad range of roles that help create, design, develop, implement and maintain RPA systems.

Regardless of the job title, RPA developers must work collaboratively with analysts to enhance various business processes–from HR to accounting–using software robots. But before they can set RPA technology at an organization, RPA developers must spend significant time and effort creating workflow diagrams and documenting processes (like a company’s typical onboarding procedure) to ensure they’re providing the most appropriate, tailored solution. Developers may also be required to test and repair bugs as part of an ongoing product maintenance plan.

RPA Job Skills & Requirements

RPA professionals should be able to navigate various RPA technologies on the market, such as UiPath or DoqumentAI, and understand how these products solve business challenges across industries. RPA professionals don’t typically create the automation scripts themselves, but they must have the skills to take scripts from products like UI path and implement them within client organizations.

Other RPA professional skills include:

Analysis and critical thinking: RPA developers should be able to analyze business processes and recommend automated improvements to enhance the organizations’ operations. After identifying the correct RPA solutions, developers must have the skills to map effective workflows and set clear goals for RPA implementation (i.e., reduce customer service complaints by 20%). Developers’ ability to analyze insights before implementation is key to the program’s success.

Coding: Many RPA developers and non-developers, like project managers and sales executives, do not need coding skills. But developers who create automation scripts, or diagnose and fix system bugs must have a programming background in Java, C, C++, or .NET, for example.

AI and ML Knowledge: RPA developers should understand how AI and Machine Learning (ML) relate to and integrate with RPA technology. Developers will need to utilize programming language and execute such integrations for higher-level roles.

How to Launch an RPA Career

Wondering where to start to launch your career in robotic process automation? Regardless of the role you seek, you’ll want to dive deeper into learning the basics of what RPA is and how it transforms business processes today.

Then you’ll want to take it a step further by gaining certification from one of the top RPA leaders in the industry. For example, UI Path offers certificates for all RPA roles to help people of across backgrounds build expertise using its platform. UiPath allows you to choose between a General Track for foundational technical stills or the RPA Developer Track for deeper-level knowledge in designing and developing complex solutions.

Why Start Now

From banking and finance to retail and healthcare, nearly every industry has realized that automation can rapidly boost efficiency and prepare them for an increasingly digital world. Now businesses need skilled professionals like you to help make RPA’s promise a reality.

When you’re ready to dive into the world of automation, check out job openings from top-growing RPA companies like qBotica. We hope to hear from you soon.