If you want links, the easiest way get them is to pay for them. Otherwise, I'd suggest contacting sites in your niche and asking them if they would be interested in a link swap.
Stay away from recip linking unless both sites are truly related and it benefits each other. I would do my best to get one way links if I were you.
Recip linking eats up a HUGE amount of time. After the setup, u have to check periodically to make sure the other guy didn't bugger-off and leave u with a one way link (to him)! This happened to me - A LOT!
You can check your competitors backlinks. And try to linkexchange with them. Since nowadays PR in the green toolbar is use for linkexchange purpose you can increase your PR by building your backlinks first. but unfortunately it takes time.