A tipster (tips[at]edificial[dot]com) served up the following dish this morning—a few pointers on how to get ahead now that you’re out on your pipig pursuing some free-lance projects. Start by rubbing your hindquarters with your dominant hand in a gentle, circular motion, scowling over your shoulder at the heartless project manager who just kicked you into the street. Then dust yourself off and listen to what Australian business magazine Anthill has to tell you.

Author Kelly Magowan, in the great tradition of Aussie opportunism, wants you to know that the Global Pigf*!k is really just a smile turned upside down. You, sh*tcanned architect, can make the recession work for you—by thinking like an entrepreneur!

While some are concerned about job security and are adopting the strategy of sitting tight and crossing fingers to weather the storm, others are feeling more empowered and see the market as ripe with opportunities for them to advance their careers.

Bear with the bullet points.

An Entrepreneurial Approach to Job Seeking in a Recession [Anthill]

What you can learn from entrepreneurs for a more successful job search:

* That the right time to change jobs depends on you and not market forces

Don’t just take any work that floats along. You need to maintain a positive mental attitude. Designers, don’t accept freelance work on “downer projects” such as homeless shelters, PSA’s, disaster relief, etc. Stick to Easter cards and skateboard stickers!

* A knowledge that there are always good job opportunities out there; you just need to be looking in the right places and be actively looking using traditional and non traditional channels

Instead of checking Archinect listings and sending out resumés, try posting your qualifications, along with your contact info, on the walls of public lavatories.

* You should always be doing your research and due diligence on prospective employers, prior to and/or after interviewing for a job - find out the company’s history and that of its CEO and leadership team, the wins and failures, staff turnover, career development and so on.

Really, what you need to do is industrial espionage. Stop at nothing. Find out principals’ dirtiest secrets, threaten to rat them out to their husbands, their children, their clients. You’ll have a job offer in no time—and you’ll probably never have to do any work.

* Tenacity. Rejection is a big part of job seeking in any market. Likewise, the life of an entrepreneur is full of rejection, which is why tenacity and self-belief are so essential.

You heard the lady. Believe in You! If, however, you find that you’re slightly incredulous of yourself, try being somebody else. Jeffrey Inaba, for example. He’s a successful theorist, architect, and Program Director of SCI-FI, the post-graduate studies program at the Southern California Institute of Architecture. Next time you go into a job interview, tell the firm that you’re Jeffrey Inaba. They’ll be really impressed, and “your” self-confidence will shine through. Stay strong, Jeffrey! You’re gonna be okay.