Unveiling the Nexus: Career Optimism as a Mediator Between Protean Career Attitudes and Career Success Among U.S. Women

Career optimism helps individuals sustain motivation and adapt to uncertainty in the workplace. Using data ( n = 279) from a 3-wave survey, we investigated the relationship between protean career attitude and career success when career optimism was a mediator. We observed a statistically significant positive relationship between both dimensions (self-directed and values-driven) of the protean career attitude and career optimism, between career optimism and career success, and between the self-directed dimension and career success when mediated by career optimism. In contrast, we found a statistically significant negative indirect effect between the values-driven dimension and career success when mediated by career optimism. These results reveal the role of the self-directed attitude as a strong predictor of career success among women. Our findings advance understanding of career optimism as a psychological resource that enables positive career outcomes. Implications, limitations, and future research are also discussed.