Wells Fargo Seizes Its Opportunity

Whenever there's a macro-trend taking place, say, all the big banks are scaling back plans to hire aggressively in Asia, there's always one firm that's just a bit contrarian. In the U.S. and Europe, it's Cantor Fitzgerald, the New York firm that's bringing on 1,000 in the next five years.

In Asia, it's Wells Fargo. The bank plans to increase head count in Asia by at least 10% over the next three years, Bloomberg reports.

"We're hiring," John Rindlaub, president of Wells Fargo's Asia Pacific operations, told Bloomberg. "As the other institutions have either slowed their growth or even cut back to reduce their expenses, we've been able to add great people."

The bank will hire more than 400 workers in the region. By the end of the year, Hong Kong will see 20 people come aboard while China can expect 15 to 20 in the next 12 months.

Opportunities in Asia are becoming more difficult to get, so this is a good one to look into.

It's in the Past (FINS)

Alison Carnwath, the Barclays director who stepped down last week, presided over MF Global before a certain person came on the scene: Jon S. Corzine.

Indian Expansion (Economic Times)

Standard Chartered will hire 600 in India during the second half of the year.

Come Together (Reuters)

As Jamie Dimon readies his succession plans, he's putting his top lieutenants into new positions to test them out.

Staying Together (Dealbreaker)

Meanwhile, J.P. Morgan is like, "Glass-Steagall: No way, dude." The bank unveiled a company reorganization that will reinforce, not separate, business units.

Less Harsh Penalties (WSJ)

The executives at Nomura may have felt the need to depart amid insider trading allegations, but it's a whole different ball game at Daiwa, which is only cutting exec pay.

Landing Anew (Financial News)

An ex-Royal Bank of Scotland analyst has found a new home at CLSA in Singapore after she was laid off earlier this year. Take heart, RBS refugees: There are spaces out there.

Office Necessities (Mergers & Inquisitions)

You may think you're helping your career by avoiding office politics, but you're actually setting it back. Make sure to go to drinks with your colleagues, be nice to secretaries and avoid gossiping.

Buzz Around the Office

This is Crazy (Vulture)

To complement your Olympics coverage, here is a video of the U.S. swim team doing its version of "Call Me Maybe." We'll take a ticket to London in exchange.

List of the Day: Career Golds

If you want to excel in your career like Olympians excel in their sports, remember a few lessons:

1. Identify what kind of work you're truly passionate about.

2. Don't let competition or frustrations get the better of you.

3. Advocate for change when you're in a position to make a difference.

(Source: Glassdoor.com)