Bryan University Career Services Advisor Mark Farley — Helping Students Build Confidence and Careers

At Bryan University, every student’s path is unique, and Career Services Advisor Mark Farley is passionate about meeting each student where they are and helping them reach their individual goals.

“I’m here to truly help students,” he said. “I’m here for them. Our student base is from fresh high school graduates to people in the military, to retired folks like me that are trying to find their way through. I’m here to help them as they make those life changes, and try to absorb what they have to learn or gain or grow.”

Mark has been on the BU team for nearly three years. He joined the BU team after retiring three times! He first retired from a corporate job where he worked for a large wireless company; he traveled and helped set up tech support and call centers. After that, before remote work was as prevalent as it is now, he helped train people to work remotely. Then he worked remotely helping set up call centers abroad. He found from that job that he enjoyed working from home, so when he was looking for his next opportunity he found the listing for BU and immediately applied. 

“I love it. I love it very much.”

Mark said his favorite part about his job is helping people realize their full potential. 

“The job says you need five years of experience, and they’ll say ‘I’ve never done this before,’ and I love that, you know why? Because then I can say, ‘You’re married? Got kids? You make decisions for them? Pay insurance bills? Ever had to call and fix one?’ That’s negotiating, billing, and problem-solving. Suddenly, they realize ‘I do have experience.’ Not in an office, maybe, but in life, and that’s what employers want. My favorite part is seeing that light come on. Let’s work on a resume. Let’s work on a cover letter. Let’s get that LinkedIn profile, saying, ‘here I am, world, I’m ready to go,’ you know.” 

He loves his team and how they all work so well together, using their strengths to help each other and each student. His role involves speaking to 20-30 students a day, helping them with job placement, resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles. He said he stays motivated just knowing that he’s making a difference for each student he talks to. 

“I love the fact that I get to help and the environment here at the university. It’s not about numbers, it’s not about pressure. It’s truly about being available for the students, and about having a life balance so that you can actually live your life,” he said. “I love working 100% remotely and our department leader, Dr. Broadnax, is very, very vocal about making sure we take our time off and are there for our families. It’s just really neat because we all support each other when we do that.”

Outside of work, Mark’s passion for helping others abounds — he’s a full-time pastor, not giving sermons in a church but by serving his community. 

“I’m the guy in the recovery homes. I’m the guy in all the shelters, and out on the street with the purely homeless. I go to people that are either afraid of God, mad at God, hate God, or think God’s out to get them. That’s my calling.”

He’s 35 years sober and is still active in the 12-step community. He’s also set up several nonprofits, started a Sugar and Carb Addiction group that has 4,000 members worldwide, and written over 40 books that include topics from 12-step to daily devotionals and bible study. 

He says his family can tell he loves what he does at BU. “They see the smile on my face and they know I’m happy.” 

He continued, “They see I’m doing what I love, which is helping people. I don’t fix people. I don’t rescue people. I help them. I make them feel valued and I try to help them not only see a solution for the problem they’re in but also help them find the resources to move forward. That’s my calling and that’s what Bryan University allows me to do.”

One example he loves sharing is how he was able to help a BU alumnus find a new job after the one she had for 16 years was cut. The woman, who’s deaf and a single mom, looked on her own, but she grew worried when she couldn’t find anything. Mark was able to use contacts he has through his nonprofit work to connect her with the American Society for the Deaf, who connected her with her local deaf community. She found a new job within 14 days! 

His advice for anyone just starting out in their career, or searching for the right career for them, is to ask themselves: “What is your dream? Where do you want to be? We, the entire university, will help you get there.”

Most people might not know that Mark was in a coma in 2002 and not expected to live. He suffered a traumatic brain injury after he was dragged by an ATV that crashed into a brick wall. He woke up after seven days and said his recovery was nothing short of miraculous. 

If he could do anything, without time or money being a factor, he would go to medical school, “I find it challenging and exciting, and before I took my first drink long ago, I wanted to be a doctor.”

In line with his passion for helping people, he’s especially passionate about helping people experiencing homelessness — like kids aging out of the foster system who have nowhere to go and older people who can’t live on only social security. He’s working on a project, which has been awarded a grant, that brings both groups together. It would allow the kids aging out to learn from the older generations, while the older generations learn from the younger ones about things like technology. 

“We’re building a family for both of these populations to come together.” 

The best advice he’s ever gotten that he would share with others is don’t turn a bad moment into a bad day. 

“I used to be so full of fear of something negative happening. I would blow it up in my mind so that it blocked my whole view for the day, and I couldn’t see around it. I take that bad moment and make it into a bad day. I’ve learned that yes, life is full of twists, turns, trials, tests, and temptations and we will have trouble, but don’t let it become so powerful that it takes you hostage. Don’t turn a bad moment into a bad day. You’ll get through it.”

For anyone considering a career at BU, Mark says: “It’ll be the best decision you’d ever make. Imagine working with your friends being part of a solution and being able to make a difference. That’s what I get to do here every day.”

Each month, we shine a light on one of our amazing team members through the Bryan University Employee Spotlight. Every employee is eligible. Want to join our team? Explore Careers at Bryan University!