At this point in time, be happy with what you have. Consider yourself lucky for having a job and do whatever it takes to stick to it. Ya, just talk normaly about your regular hike and stuff, don't be too demanding. Wait for the economy to revive up a bit and job market to gear up, not this year of course. Then it's time to hit the nail on the head. My golden words are, "Well, I think its time for me to move on and expand my horizons..!!!" And, BANG.. there it is, Let's talk business..!!! If you are hardworking and provide value to the company, believe me, they can't afford to let you move on. If they let you do so, consider that it's really time to move on. I have seen people work for decades and still be at the same place where they started with. PLAY SMART. So, timing is very critical. Like the saying goes, "kahile sasu ko palo ta kahile buhari ko"