Thread regarding Wells Fargo & Co. layoffs

I'm in my early 30s. I don't know why I was intimidated about getting a college degree in my 20s, but I'm finally back in school just taking 2 classes at a time. I'm mainly getting my degree, because it's hard competing with others who have one for and better job position. I also want to get my degree, because I want to give myself an opportunity exploring other career choices and not waiting until my 40s kicking myself for not doing it in my 30s. If you can afford it, go to therapy. Doesn't hurt to speak to a professional to get some things off your chest and to help you realize what you want.

Probably best to judge companies based upon any participation trophies which might be on display in offices when you interview. Be prepared for trick questions such as “what the heck have you been doing for the last 12 years?”

I am 44 and feel the same way but I just try to stick it out. I worked at Wells 20 years and didn’t like it but now I have a decent nest egg for retirement and skills that I can use to earn enough to live on. I got another boring banking job and I think about retirement daily even though it is 10+ years away. I just save as much as I can and am motivated by trying to reach my savings goals. That is what keeps me going. Once I feel I am financially independent, I plan to quit and do something I like on my own terms.

Sit down and make a list about what you liked about each job. Find the common themes and then when you interview you'll be able to vet the opportunity by what you know is acceptable "work".

For me, I love autonomy. I can't stand to be micromanaged. I let people to know this up front. Let me do my thing. If I need you, I let you know. I also promise to send an update to you every Friday with my accomplishments, risks and upcoming tasks.

Next: Words are my currency of choice and every job that I liked, I was responsible for taking complicated concepts and making them understandable to various audiences, or teaching or facilitating between groups without common vernacular / frame of reference.

I'm also service oriented. I don't want to be totally in charge or in management.

Knowing these things has always helped me find my right place.

Hope this is helpful and good luck!

Which of all the jobs you’ve had did you hate the least? Was it the work you hated, or your boss?

What if you could do the same work among people you liked? Sometimes it’s not the work, it’s the situation.

I love my work, it’s my job I hate. So I’m looking to do the same work in a non-toxic environment.

"Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so?
There's a support group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar." --
Drew Carey

Yes, other than a very few lucky ones, we all get punched in the face from time to time. Myself as well, twice with layoffs and once with a company change. But part of my plan being in this this business is to anticipate that punch and plan accordingly to recover from it. Some people make plans and execute them while others make excuses. I am not perfect and this did not happen overnight. Even best laid plans....right. But the more you plan, anticipate and most importantly TAKE OWNERSHIP of your path, the better off you will be in the long run.

@awz. It’s good to have a plan but Corporate America is good at blowing that up in your face.

Like Mike Tyson said, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.

The real question is why are you working ? Is it for enjoyment and love of profession or is it to earn money and pay for living expenses and extras. If a job is a job and just a means to pay the bills, then you need to seek out high paying roles. And no you do not need to be a college graduate to obtain high paying job. You may have to be flexible. You may have to relocate. You may have to "pay your dues" for multiple years to get to the end result. But you HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN. You also need to live within your means and invest or save prudently. Too many people want it all right now and live well beyond their means, don't have a plan and don't know how to save. I did not graduate college - barely even started it. I was willing to move (once) and targeted a role (at WF) that did not require a degree and paid at a high level. Then worked my bu-t off to become very good and successful at that role. I will be retiring in my mid 50's and financially set to enjoy the next life chapter. Have a plan and work hard to make it happen.

The last advice was great. I'd also chime in that having a degree PERIOD gives you a leg up -- it doesn't have to be in the industry you're interested in pursuing. For example, my degree is in Education (English), but I've been dealing with data in some way for the last 20 years. Employers like to see that a person can stick through college and earn a degree.

No one wants to work for anyone else. Most of us do so to survive.

Having said that, you'll find yourself in much more comfortable jobs making more money at the same time if you have a marketable bachelor's degree (business, tech, etc.). Though no recruiter will tell you this out of politeness, associates degrees aren't considered real degrees in the business world.

You're not too old to get your degree. Many schools offer the whole thing online and accelerated. The prospect of starting the degree might feel daunting, but time is going to pass whether you have the degree or not. In other words, there's no time argument against getting it.

Many employers partially or fully reimburse tuition, but even if yours doesn't, you'll never regret the expense if you go to a reasonably priced school.

Student loans will more than cover your tuition and books at a normal school. Only get federal student loans. Never, ever, ever get private student loans. You have protections with federal loans that you don't have with private loans.

So there's no money argument either.

That just leaves 'I don't need college!'. While that might be true, the rules of the game state that you need the degree. You just gotta get past the psychology of this, and just do it. Think of it as a leg up in the job market. Only ~25% of people have a bachelor's or higher.

Even if you can't fully visualize your life 2-4 years from now, that's fine. Just get the degree. Things will fall into place if you keep trying.

Are we still at the WF layoff discussion forum?

Service industry jobs are rife with this. We do not actually provide a product at the end of the day we can take pride in.

Best job I ever had was as a welder 100 years ago. I would leave knowing I actually built something someone needed and I took pride in it.

Now I make 5x more in a job that I honestly cannot say providing any value I could measure.

"Some of the happiest people in the world go home stinking to high heaven."

Morgan Freeman

44 here and while I don't mind my current job, I'm bored to death by it. The longest I've ever held a job before getting bored with it was the first year of this one. Prior to that it was three months, but usually only one month.

I still don't know what I really want to do, but I know I prefer to be outside or doing something where I actually use my brain rather than repeating a process.

So I'm going back to school to get a degree in a field where using my brain will be more important. My main goal at this point is to earn enough that I can quit and go fishing every day.

Life is long. I remember when I was finishing primary school there was a lot of emphasis at the time on figuring out what you were going to do career wise. At the time I lived near an old blacksmith I used to visit regularly, he looked exactly how you would imagine a blacksmith to look, long grey beard, always covered in ash, a quietly spoken Vietnam war veteran, he had an awesome studio forge where he worked on commissions. Anyway I remember he said not to worry about it too much he didn't work out what he wanted to do until he was almost 60 year old.
A number of years later one of the developers I worked with had many careers before working as a programmer, he cleaned power plant reactors, lived in Africa as an aid-worked, before eventually settling down and learning to code at around 50 years old. He was a fantastic developer because of his life experience not in spite of it, and moreover a great team member because he could provide some much needed perspective.

Here is the scoop. Working sucks. No one likes spending a third or more of their prime years doing work. Those that say they do are avoiding a miserable marriage/hate being a parent or hiding that they are undesirable so they are "married to their career".

Maybe you should sign up at the army recruiting office. They will either turn you into a man or kick you out so you know with finality that you are a lover.

Or go see a psychologist. You are on that extended adolescence time.

Try Texas RoadHouse? They give you shirts that say "I love my job!" on them. You can be a Roadie, Dude!