A Career in Robotic Process Automation Industry – What’s it Like?

Digitalization of business operations has brought about revolutionary changes in the job market. Few decades ago, the term automation was largely used to refer to industrial robots that replaced human workforce. These robots performed routine and often tedious physical tasks in manufacturing industries. In the digital era, the term robotic in RPA has a new meaning. When we say robotic process automation, we are referring to a new set of robots (software tools) which take up clerical tasks and deal with data. The monotonous desk tasks which are rule-based were earlier performed by executives. As a result of the takeover, businesses are now able to free their employees from time-consuming desk tasks and are engaging them in more serious and creative roles that revolve around the customers.

The demand for robotic process automation tools has been on the rise. As per a recent report from Zinnov, the market for RPA is set to touch $11 billion by 2024 while the total estimated worldwide addressable market stood at $ 50 billion. Financial Services, Banking, Healthcare and Telecom are some of the sectors which are expected to witness high adoption of RPA in future. With the application of RPA spreading across industries, the demand for professionals in RPA jobs concerned with design and development of tools has also been on the rise. RPA has created numerous opportunities for both freshers and experienced professionals.

RPA – Industry Snapshot and Career Opportunities

According to a 2018 report from Gartner Inc., the revenue of global RPA software market grew by 63.1 percent to touch $846 million. It was the fastest growing global enterprise software market during the year. With more digitalization, there will be more adoption of RPA across the length and breadth of industries and businesses. According to another report published on Research and Markets, the global RPA market is expected to touch USD 3.97 billion by 2025 growing at a CAGR of 31.1%. The report also states that the developments in Artificial Intelligence domain will fuel the growth in RPA market.

There are numerous research reports that suggest that process automation is all set to spread its roots across industries and reach even medium and small businesses. With technology becoming cheaper, businesses will find great benefits by moving towards automation. The job roles are expected to change to a great extent wherein the employees will have to be equipped with new skills from time-to-time to ensure that they catch-up with the technological advancements.

For aspirants who are looking for a career in RPA, the future appears to be bright. Through roles such as RPA developer, process engineer and automation tester they will be challenged to address numerous real-world business problems across various industries. The salary in robotic process automation industry too is pretty good. For instance, Glassdoor website claims that the average salary (base pay) for Automation Engineer in Bengaluru is about Rs. 5.9 lakhs per anum.

How to Start a Career in Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?

The ideal starting point to prepare for a career in Robotic Process Automation will be at the UG level. It is a known fact that most of the traditional educational programs in India are way behind in terms of meeting the expectations of the industry. There are numerous reports that suggest that UGC and AICTE are focussing on educational reforms to keep pace with technological developments. With this backdrop, a student can follow the steps mentioned below when preparing for a career in robotic process automation.

• Find out what a career in RPA will be like:The role of an RPA tool developer or an engineer can be challenging. They have to be flexible to work in various domains, understand and analyse business processes and come up with solutions. Learning about careers related to RPA can help students get a perspective about the domain and its challenges.
• Check if a career in RPA is for you: As stated above, the role of RPA developers, architects and technicians demand certain skill sets like analytical abilities, programming knowledge etc. As a student you can first check if the role inspires you.
• Look for University programs that can land you in RPA jobs:Once you have made your mind about a career in RPA, you can start looking for Universities that offer programs which can lead you to your goals. There are very few B.Tech and BCA University programs in India related to RPA and artificial intelligence. Make sure you go through the curriculum, faculty and other key factors that can help you make an informed decision.
• Enrol in the best program and stay up-to-date by following websites/blogs that speak about RPA:After enrolling in the program, you can follow websites and blogs that post content related to RPA and Artificial Intelligence industry. This can help you stay up-to-date about the latest developments in the industry.