This research sought to investigate how academics with a protean career attitude perceived success in their academic career. The role of perceived employability was examined by distinguishing between external and internal employability perceptions. Data from 288 academics working in Malaysian universities were collected and analysed using structural equation modelling. The findings revealed that a protean career attitude had no significant direct relationship with career success; rather, it had an indirect effect on success via perceived employability. Both external and internal perceived employability fully mediated the relationship between protean career attitude and career success, with perceived external employability having a stronger direct and mediating effect on academic career success. This study suggests that academic staff depend upon external employment opportunities to pursue success in academia. The implications of study findings are discussed, along with limitations and future research directions.