If you want to network effectively, start networking with people around you, not people who are above you. A lot of us get anxious at the thought of having to network because the world has taught us networking in a way that is intimidating. The thought of having to send an email to a CEO or an executive of a company on LinkedIn can make your heart race.

In one of her interviews, actress, writer, director, and producer Issa Rae, of the HBO hit series Insecure says that we shouldn't be aiming to network up -- we should be networking across. She suggests that we network with people who are next to us, people who are struggling, and most importantly, people who are as hungry as you are. In actual fact, we know that reaching people in executive positions takes getting through to the people in the front line, assistants, managers, so why not build your network there and use that network to get through to those who are above you. We have to see the value in the people who are in similar positions and situations, people who are  trying to build something.

Networking is all about you scratching my back, and i’ll scratch yours in return, but how well can you scratch someone's back if he or she is already dominating the industry you're in? The goal is obviously to get the person to know your name, but chances are, what he or she can offer you  outweighs what you can offer in return, otherwise, the person would be chasing you down, not the other way around. But if you are talking to someone who is in a similar position, you will scratch each other’s backs equally, its reciprocity instead of favours. Networking across is underrated, but that doesn't mean you should abandon networking up altogether.

 Note : This article was published as part of a series of articles curated for the 21 Days of Realignment campaign launched by Agenda Women during the 2020 COVID19 Lockdown.