It's still a very "who you know" environment when it comes to advancement. It still isn't a place where you can stay in one role for any extended period of time. You're expected to move up the chain, or you're likely to get moved out. Opportunities are more scarce the higher up you go, and you're not likely to land one of those opportunities unless you know the right people. Don't expect to move too far up the chain unless you're willing to move to the Seattle area, where everything is excruciatingly overpriced and, not surprisingly, staggeringly liberal. You're expected to make an impact, but it's difficult to get anything done because of outdated tools/systems combined with tons of red tape and equal numbers of managers and PM's competing for a slice of the spotlight.