Is the ad agency tech-nically dead?

For ad professionals, Derek Thompson makes a career-shaping statement in The Atlantic article, "Where Did All the Advertising Jobs Go?" We can call Google and Facebook "data processing" companies all we want. As Thompson states, "They are the largest advertising companies in the world—and, quite likely, the largest in the history of the world."

This isn't a doom-and-gloom-industry-ending article. Many ad agencies are fighting the good fight, evolving and changing. Job can be found – maybe not positions we're familiar with – but shops aren't closing in droves either.

Thompson's article questions our career paths. Are you on the right one? I didn't make the transition from experiential marketer to UX by accident. It was a conscious decision, based on what you'll read here. I'm always preaching about evolving or becoming extinct, but it's not a pro-UX article either. Hopefully, it'll encourage you explore options. They aren't the roads less traveled anymore.