When its time...

Off late, I've become a regular at www.livemint.com. Apart from usual news relating to business, the economy, market conditions etc. I find the career section by Jack and Suzy Welch to be very interesting.
Here's a recent article about Knowing when its time to leave your present place of work

Questions you need to ask yourself:

~ Do you look forward to going to work every morning?
Does the thought of going to work make you feel good or do your dread it every morning?

~ Do you enjoy spending time with your co-workers?
Considering the fact that you spend close to 12 hours with these people, this becomes a very relevant question. Co-workers can either motivate you or can get your frustrated to the core.

~ Does your company fulfill your personal mission?
Question rephrased as - Do you get to do things that challenge/excite you?

~ Can you picture yourself at your company in a year's time?
Where do you see yourself? Who reports to you? What are your responsibilities and are you happy with that?

Currently, my score on almost all of the above questions happens to be negative :(

Elevator Pitch

Imagine you are in the office elevator. A person from top management also gets in. You can either say hi and keep quiet or you could initiate a conversation. This could be your opportunity to sell yourself and make a lasting impression in that person's mind. This could turn out to be a stepping stone in your career path... but remember you have just about a minute or so to do that.
So... what is your Elevator Pitch?

This was the session I attended yesterday, which was really well thought out and executed. A whole lot of fun and a great learning experience. The session started out with a role play of what an elevator pitch should not be and then moved on to what a good elevator pitch is.
By the end of the session, each of the participants had written out their pitches and delivered it (though it still needs a lot of tailoring and alteration, at least this is a good start).
So, what is the purpose of an elevator pitch:
You may be good at what you do, but do other people (who have a stake in your career) know about it. This would be the good tool.

What should your elevator pitch be about:
It could either be about you as an individual or about your team/department.
Just like the news has a few headlines, have a couple of highlights about yourself/team/department always on the top of your mind. This should briefly state what you do and how it impacts the firm at a high level.
A pitch could also include present constraints/issues faced which that senior person may be able to help out with. Senior people are always willing to give their opinion/advice - so asking them for one would be a good idea - which may in turn be the point that helps them remember you/identify you with.
So, 3-4 highlights is what is required.

Points to keep in mind while preparing your pitch:
~ Your vision :
What do you see yourself doing, where do you want to reach, what do you want to achieve - keep this in mind

~ Unearth your brand:
What do people know about you. Is that the impression you want them to have? What change do you want in that - state it.

~ Evaluate:
Your vision would change with time and so should your pitch. The change in pitch could also depend on your audience. So evaluate your pitch and make it as relevant as possible.

Other points:
~ Write out your pitch, perfect it.
~ Be natural. Don't make up stuff, hoping to impress. A pitch shouldn't sound artificial which would create a negative impact.
~ In case that person is pre-occupied or not in the right mood, don't force yourself upon them. Go with the flow.
~ Practice practice practice. You never know when you might need it.

Some related links from the net:
5 tips
Killer elevator pitch
Some other tips