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

Joanna F. Norman, Tomika W. Greer, Kim Nimon, College of Business and Technology, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, Cullen College of Engineering, University of Houston, Soules College of Business, The University of Texas at Tyler

Journal of Career Development

Published online on July 24, 2026

Abstract

Journal of Career Development, Ahead of Print.
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 ...