Have you ever wondered if the “Certified UiPath Developer” title guarantees knowledge and professional expertise (especially when you are on the hiring side?)? In many instances – yes, it is. But in this article, I want to focus on the “certified” part to understand better what meaning lies behind it…
Who are Certified Senior UiPath developers?
First, some broader context: in my opinion, UiPath has the best learning resources out of any RPA platform. They have enough material to keep anyone busy for weeks if not months. The courses are well structured and bring much value and knowledge, especially if you are a fresh RPA dev.
Academy.UiPath is a great place for learning all the features of UiPath if you aren’t familiar with them, but… that’s it. The hard truth is that it is neither practical nor gives you any real coding experience.
After completing even one of the learning paths, a diploma of completion is issued. And here is where the problems start.
The classes are super easy to finish (not to master the material! to complete an actual course). It is just clicking through information to go further with short multiple-choice tests at the end of sections that can be taken an infinite number of times. I can easily imagine a situation where someone clicks through, does not learn anything, and has a diploma.
And that’s the issue’s core with “certified UiPath developers.” These documents aren’t certificates; they are diplomas of completion. They don’t show the actual expertise; they only show that a person has finished a given course.
Regardless, plenty of devs will put “UiPath Certified” on their resumes and LinkedIn anyway and, in some instances, create a false impression about their actual skills. At this point, someone looking for an RPA developer who doesn’t know anything about the subject matter will be impressed with their resume (consider the example from the next chapter).
! VERY IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER !
There are some exceptions to this. A group of UiPath developers have completed the actual, paid certification courses from UiPath: UiPath Certified RPA Associate (UiRPA) and UiPath Certified Advanced RPA Developer (UiARD). These certifications are more reliable and can be perceived as indicators of the dev’s skillset. But, as you can see in the example below, they are often being replaced by less valuable “certificates.”
Certified Senior UiPath developer – a real-life example
Consider this excerpt from a real-life “Certified Senior UiPath developer” resume we received not long ago.
Certificates Completed:
- RPA Developer Foundation
- RPA Developer Continuous Learning
- RPA solution Architect Foundation
- RPA Infrastructure Engineer Foundation
- RPA Business Analyst Foundation
- RPA Implementation Manager Foundation
First reaction? “Holy shit… This guy must be a pro! He also has one year of being a senior RPA developer on his resume… Let’s hire him!”
What is the reality?
This person with no technical know-how was sick of doing manual reports all day, so he automated some of his tasks using UiPath. Once this person’s manager found out, he was promoted and received the title of senior UiPath developer on the spot.
One year later, he wants to ride the wave and make a developer’s salary, so he is looking for a new job. Now as a Senior UiPath Developer with a resume to back it.
But, in reality, he was still junior level, without almost any proper knowledge of software development, ready to be defeated by the first, more complex problem (that will arise sooner or later).
Conclusion – what REALLY matters?
Courses and certifications don’t mean anything if you don’t have experience and a technical mindset. In my opinion, four things are needed if you want to be a PROPER Robotic Process Automation (RPA) developer:
- Technical mindset: to understand how automation works in the first place and be able to analyze the technical environment that will be automated;
- RPA platform knowledge: to correctly implement the automation (check our new program of RPA workshops and training);
- Project experience: to know how automation corresponds with real businesses and real products;
- Passion for automation: to always pursue the best solution available.
If a developer’s eyes don’t light up while talking about automation, they probably aren’t your perfect pick.
If they mostly were in charge of manual reports and right after becoming a senior RPA developers within the same company, probably something is not quite right.
Certification only makes sense if it supplements one’s existing knowledge and expertise. It’s a great indicator of one’s professional attitude and a good summary of potential areas where your future dev can support your business and improve your processes.
But it cannot replace the good ol’ coding experience.
We provide a wide range of RPA consulting services. Build your Robotic Process Automation with our battle-tested UiPath developers sourced only from “Big Four” consulting firms.
Like the article? Spread the word
Karl Mielnicki
CTO & Co-Founder of Flobotics. Expert and fanatic in RPA - Robotic Process Automation with over 5 years of IT experience working for consulting companies and tech startups. UiPath consultant, an accredited BluePrism developer.
