Stylist, 4 June 2025: ‘Are work glimmers the key to enjoying your job more?’
“When we constantly zero in on what’s wrong – the stress, the overload, the politics – we start to filter everything else out,” says Victoria McLean, founder and CEO of City CV. “It’s like putting on gloom-tinted glasses that only let us see the worst bits. That mindset slowly chips away at motivation and self-belief, even in roles that might otherwise be a good fit.”
McLean notes that she often sees this in her consulting work: “Brilliant people, in great jobs on paper, who’ve become so consumed by the negatives that they can’t recognise their own success anymore, “she says. “Over time, that kind of tunnel vision doesn’t just drain our energy, it reshapes how we see ourselves. It’s harder to advocate for a promotion, explore new directions or even just enjoy the job we have. Overcoming this isn’t about ignoring challenges; they’re real. But if we don’t balance them out with something positive, our whole relationship with work starts to sour.”
When McLean’s clients start to look for glimmers at work, she notices that their confidence often shoots up, too. “They remember what they’re good at, they stop feeling like they’re failing and start seeing how much they’re contributing,” she says. “That alone can completely change how someone shows up at work – with more energy, more presence and a bit more joy.”
A work glimmer that always lights McLean up is when a former client gets back in touch. “Sometimes it’s months or years later, and they tell me they landed the role they were aiming for, or made a leap they never thought possible,” she says. “Those moments are tiny in the scheme of a busy day, but they’re enormous in meaning.”
The article can be read in full here.