The report from Citi and LinkedIn analyzes career satisfaction among women and men, revealing that perceived peak career happiness varies by age and gender. While salary remains important for both, its significance decreases with age, with older professionals prioritizing fulfillment and passion. Additionally, women's success in securing raises has increased, and concerns over work-life balance are declining, indicating progress in their professional journeys.

1. Citi/LinkedIn’s Today’s Professional Woman Report explores how
women and men evaluate career satisfaction and achieve success.
The State of Career Satisfaction
BROUGHT TO YOU BY

2. WHEN ARE YOU
THE HAPPIEST
IN YOUR CAREER?

3. According to the latest
Today’s Professional
Woman Report, career
satisfaction and success
are not just end goals,
they’re moving targets
for both men and
women.

4. Inspired by the
conversations in
Connect: Professional
Women’s Network,
the latest survey looks
at career concerns,
professional progress
and happiness.

5. Men and women in every age group report
that the happiest point in their careers was
just a few years in the past.

6. WHEN PROFESSIONALS SAY
THEIR HAPPIEST AGE WAS:
Gen. Y 28
Adults 35–44 35
Adults 45–54 42
Adults 55+ 49

7. “My proudest moments were when I was awarded two commendation
medals from the California Military Department. There is nothing more
satisfying than knowing you did your best and that your efforts had a
positive impact.”
MeShawn Tajalle Hunt, Owner at 2 Tropical Gals

8. When professionals think
they’ll peak in their career
varies significantly by generation.

9. Professionals anticipate their “peak” further
ahead as they move from one generation
to the next.

10. THE AGE PROFESSIONALS
EXPECT TO HIT THEIR PEAK:
Gen. Y 43
Adults 35–44 50
Adults 45–54 56
Adults 55+ 62

11. Most professionals associate career satisfaction
with a good salary, but the importance of salary
varies between genders and generations as well.

12. Men are more likely than women to
equate career satisfaction with a
“good salary” (58% vs. 52%),
while women ranked salary as
equally important to doing what
they love and being challenged.

13. Salary also becomes less important to
professionals as they age: Respondents 55+
were significantly more likely to equate career
satisfaction with “doing what I love.”

14. “Money, prestige and social status are all nice, but they are
not what make a successful career. You have to feel fulfilled,
constantly striving and learning.”
Pamela Rogers, Employment Coach

15. WOMEN CONTINUE
TO MAKE PROGRESS
TOWARD THEIR GOALS.

16. Of those who asked for a raise in
the past year, the number of
women getting them is on the rise:
84% of women who asked for a
raise last year received one vs. 75%
of those who received a pay
increase in 2013.

17. “WHEN MY BOSS ASKED ‘WHY DO YOU
DESERVE MORE?’ I WAS READY!
I deserved more because I had cut cost for the
company that tripled what I wanted in a raise.
I deserved more because I worked 16 hours a
day and never complained.
I deserved it because I earned it.
WHEN YOU EARN IT, ASK FOR IT! Chances are
you are too valuable for them to let go.”
Rachel Goodwin-Juby, Owner at Emergency 911 Equipment

18. SEVERAL
MAJOR
CAREER AND
FINANCIAL
CONCERNS
WOMEN
EXPRESSED
IN THE
PAST ARE
DECREASING.

19. The number of women who
reported that they were very
concerned with work-life balance
has decreased significantly
over time – by 14 points
(53% vs. 39%) since August 2012.

20. “Having a flexible work environment has allowed me to be
much more productive because I don't have to worry as
much about the work-life balance.”
Lisa Ventura, Vice President of Accounting and Administration

21. CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK©2014 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 21
JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
Connect: Professional Women’s Network, Powered by Citi, is an
online community with more than 300,000 members on LinkedIn
that helps women achieve the careers they want and discuss the
issues relevant to their success.
For more great insights from Connect members,
check out the discussions: What’s Your Proudest
Professional Moment?, Is Work-Life Balance a Myth?
and How Have You Benefitted From a
Flexible Work Environment?
Visit linkedin.com/womenconnect for
more information and to join the group!

22. CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK©2014 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 22
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/Shutterstock
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Shutterstock
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/Shutterstock
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PHOTO CREDITS:
Read the full Today’s Professional Woman Report here:
http://bit.ly/1pF5HBQ
To learn more about the report, contact:
[Citi] Andrew Brent: 212-559-1299 / Andrew.brent@citi.com;
[Edelman] Shaina Lamb: 212-704-8281 / shaina.lamb@edelman.com;
[LinkedIn] Fenot Tekle: ftekle@linkedin.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:

23. CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK©2014 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 23