Emily Campion wants you to love your job.
The Tippie associate professor of management and entrepreneurship spends her days researching exactly how to make that happen.
"We spend so much time working and if you hate it, it’s like sleeping on a mattress that’s uncomfortable,” said Campion. “If our jobs deplete us, they can deplete other areas of our life as well. They affect the type of energy we bring home to our families, friends, even ourselves.”
Campion’s research shows the key to job satisfaction is making work enriching rather than depleting. The good news, she says, is that there are many ways to achieve that.
Paths to work enrichment include seeking out challenges, asking for recognition, and choosing work roles that align with your personal identity and sense of curiosity.
Campion says enrichment is not about constant excitement, it’s about variety, learning, and being seen.
"Employees should ask themselves: Are there opportunities for professional development? Am I using a variety of skills? Am I recognized for what I do?”
Instead of waiting for meaning to appear, she encourages people to design it into their careers by trying different things.
"Adults often want bullet points they can apply tomorrow,” she said, “but sometimes we have to rediscover how to learn by tinkering.”
Another avenue for fulfillment is working a side hustle, Campion said. In the study "Why do People Hold Multiple Jobs?" she co-authored with with Bori Csillag of Oregon State for the Journal of Applied Psychology, they were surprised to find that earning more money was not the number-one reason people take on second jobs.
“We realized more often it’s about identity, curiosity, or fulfillment,” Campion said. “Expecting one job to meet all your needs is like expecting one relationship to give you everything.”
One through-line in her research is the importance of human and social connection at work. In an age where more and more teams are hybrid and tech-driven, it’s more critical than ever to purposefully cultivate work relationships.
"Having friends at work is an important component of workplace well-being,” she said. “These don’t necessarily need to be people you hang out with on the weekend, but you do need colleagues who validate your concerns and make you want to stay. Finding those who see and validate you is a protective buffer against fatigue and loneliness.”
Ultimately, Campion’s message is practical and hopeful. By challenging ourselves and being intentional about social connections, we can transform work from something that merely fills our days into something that gives our lives meaning.
Do you remember the college aptitude test you took in high school?
Campion is trying to create a better way. She and her team are designing an AI-based career-finding tool that doesn’t just spit out a job title.
How it’s different:
"Our tool analyzes resumes, highlights potential career paths, identifies skill gaps, and suggests ways to close them. Through data science, we hope to make high-quality career guidance accessible to anyone—from undergrads choosing a major to professionals rethinking their next move."
The ultimate goal:
"To help people find not just jobs they can do, but work they can truly enjoy.”
Deep Dive
Emily Campion talks about how AI is changing hiring on the Tippie Leads podcast.
Read more from the Researchers on a Mission series here:
This article appeared in the Spring 2026 edition of Tippie Magazine.