Getting a raise this year may be an impossible dream considering the economy and the tough spot that your company may be in. While we report on a new survey this week that details the lack of raises for IT professionals, it's certainly possible that you might be one of the lucky employees to get one.

While raises may be frozen, you might have a contract that requires a raise, you might get a new job that includes a raise, or you might work for a company that understands the importance of IT and wants to give you one. After all, no company could even limp along without technology, right?

However, the likelihood this year is that you won't see a raise in your paycheck, or if you do it will be a tiny one, possibly eaten up by increasing healthcare costs. The advice for everyone in IT seems to be: Stay put. Work hard and consider that the economy will be getting rosier in a few months if you believe what leading economists are saying. - Judi