What You Really Need to Know About Networking and Building a Professional Community

Marie Claire brought its Power Play summit to Philadelphia on September 17 and 18, gathering visionary women to champion this year's central theme: Perseverance. The two-day event, presented by Marshalls, marked the second Power Play summit of the year and brought together a dynamic lineup of speakers from entertainment, sports, tech, and business.

For the first time in Power Play history, the second day of the event was opened to the broader Philadelphia community. This was made possible through a partnership with The Marshalls Good Stuff Social Club, the retailer's purpose-driven platform designed to give women access to the tools, resources, and communities needed to unlock the lives they want to live. The event invited ambitious guests to engage in a day of impactful programming, networking opportunities, and immersive activations designed to bridge the gap between their vision boards and their realities. Here are our top insights from this inspiring day.

You know what they say: Your network is your net worth. In a world of social media and AI, there's truly nothing like making a human-to-human connection. But with seemingly endless tools for networking—from cold outreach to coffee dates—which ones are the most effective? In this exclusive live taping of Nice Talk, Marie Claire editor-in-chief Nikki Ogunnaike sits down with author of Interviewology and career influencer Anna Papalia to share all the tools you'll need to build your community.

First and foremost, let's rethink the verb "networking." Instead of trying to get something you want, consider how you can help others. When you focus on giving, meaningful connections form naturally. Have faith that the energy you put out will come back to you, because it will tenfold. As the conversation inevitably shifts to how they can help you, be clear and specific about what you want—it makes it easier for others to support you. Once these meaningful relationships pay off and you get that dream job interview, self-belief and confidence are key. It's not about having the perfect answers or résumé; it's about truly believing in your value and owning who you are. When you project that level of confidence, others will notice.

Our Top Takeaways

1. Reframe networking as helping others.

"Networking comes down to helping other people and doing things for other people. If you're out there building community, it comes back to you." — Anna Papalia

When you focus on giving, supporting, and building community, meaningful connections form naturally and often benefit you. Shifting the focus away from yourself reduces anxiety and creates more authentic relationships.

2. When networking with intimidating or high-level individuals, focus on building genuine human connections rather than making transactional asks.

"If you're trying to network with somebody who's intimidating, remember they're human, and just try to be yourself and connect with them as another person, because they get asked for favors a lot, and they're more willing to listen to you if you're just connecting with them as a person first." — Papalia

People are more likely to help when they feel a real connection, so be yourself and keep your request simple.

3. Help yourself.

"If you are helping yourself, people will help you." — Papalia

Help yourself out by being clear, prepared, and specific about what you want. Vague requests feel like work; clear, actionable requests make it easy for others to support you.

4. The key to successful interviews—and career confidence overall—is believing in yourself.

"There is no perfect interview answer. There is no perfect way to be. Those hiring managers don't know what they want to hear. But, man, when you come in confident, they're like, that girl can do the job." — Papalia

It's not about having the perfect answers or resume; it's about believing in your value and owning who you are. When you project that confidence, others believe it too.

5. Build strong relationships laterally and downward—not just upward.

"If you can't get in [through] applying, get connected." — Papalia

Bonding with peers and support staff is often more valuable than networking upward, because these connections can provide crucial support, insight, and lasting relationships throughout your career.

Discover more about Power Play Philadelphia and The Marshalls Good Stuff Social Club here.