By Dipendra Shekhawat 
This is the most frequently asked question I receive from early-career professionals to experienced individuals looking to transition or upskill.
Having worked in automation since 2020, I’ve seen the space evolve from traditional RPA to the more dynamic, agentic automation we’re building today.
Whether you’re just starting or looking to pivot, here are the core skills that helped me and continue to stay relevant in today’s landscape:
1. Understand Programming Fundamentals
You don’t have to be a full-stack developer. But if you’re serious about building scalable automation solutions, knowing the basics is essential.
Start with:
- Loops, conditions, functions
- Error handling and debugging
- Problem solving
And yes, Python is still my top recommendation. It’s clean, powerful, and plays well with most AI tools.
2. Learn to Read Business Processes, Not Just Automate Them
Automation is never the goal; rather, its impact is.
To build meaningful solutions, you need to:
- Understand the actual pain points
- Know where human effort is wasted
- Think in terms of efficiency, quality, and experience
This shift in mindset alone can 10x your value on any automation project.
3. APIs Are Your Best Friend
Modern automation = system integration.
APIs enable your bots and agents to communicate with systems in real-time.
Get comfortable with:
- Reading API docs
- Using tools like Postman
- Building solid, repeatable integrations
4. Master an Enterprise Automation Platform
If you’re starting today, UiPath, Automation Anywhere & Microsoft Power Automate are a great choice.
These platforms are mature, enterprise-ready, and offer free training, community support, and more.
You can pick and choose one of these to get started and eventually learn the others.
For Automation Anywhere, you can check out my channel. I have created 100+ videos - https://www.youtube.com/@automationfeed
5. Expand Your Toolkit for Real-World Impact
The industry is moving fast, from rule-based automations to AI-driven automations/agents.
To stay ahead, explore tools like:
- n8n: Great for building no-code/low-code automation flows with API, GPT, and webhook support. Explore n8n now.
- OCR (Google Vision, ABBYY, etc.): Crucial when working with scanned docs, invoices, or structured PDFs.
- Langchain / Autogen / Copilot Studio: For those interested in pushing into autonomous agents and generative workflows.
If you’re serious about automation as a career, start with the fundamentals and build upward, one skill at a time.
💭Got a specific question?
Drop it below, I’d be happy to help you get started the right way.📞Connect with me for a 1:1 chat: https://topmate.io/dipendrashekhawat
Happy Automating 🤖