The Psychology of Subjective Career Success: A Systematic Literature Review of Meaning, Satisfaction, and Personal Achievement
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Objective: This systematic literature review aimed to synthesize recent evidence on the psychological processes underlying subjective career success (SCS) and develop an integrative conceptual framework.
Methods and Materials: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 reporting guidelines. Scopus was searched for English-language journal articles published between January 2023 and July 2026. Of 326 initially identified records, 41 studies met the eligibility criteria. Study characteristics, theoretical approaches, psychological constructs, and contextual factors were examined through framework-based thematic synthesis.
Findings: Among the 41 studies, 28 (68.3%) employed cross-sectional quantitative designs, four (9.8%) longitudinal designs, four (9.8%) qualitative approaches, three (7.3%) psychometric designs, and two (4.9%) review-based approaches. Three provisional psychological processes emerged: meaning, satisfaction, and personal achievement. Meaning involved career identity, calling, personal values, and purpose. Satisfaction reflected affective evaluations associated with leadership, psychological safety, organizational support, and person–career fit. Personal achievement involved perceived competence, self-efficacy, resilience, adaptability, and mastery. Cultural expectations, structural constraints, organizational resources, and career shocks emerged as contextual influences. These findings informed the proposed Tripartite Psychological Model of Subjective Career Success (TPM-SCS).
Conclusion: Subjective career success may involve interconnected meaning-making, satisfaction, and achievement processes. However, the proposed tripartite framework remains conceptually derived and requires psychometric, longitudinal, and cross-cultural validation.
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