This narrative essay is based on a conversation with Crystal Cano, a former tech recruiter who honed her AI skills while recovering from a car accident. Her previous work and enrollment at MIT have been verified. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I was laid off from my job as a Senior Technical Source at DoorDash in August 2022 and decided to take a break.
I saw it as a chance to disconnect after a difficult period of supporting people in tech who lost their jobs due to mass layoffs and caring for my mother who was battling cancer.
After she got better, I knew I had to take care of myself and unplug, so I traveled to El Salvador, Miami, and Aruba for a few months.
I was in a bad car accident and it would take a year to recover
When I returned home to Orange County, California last March, I was involved in a bad car accident. I was driving on the freeway and saw a car speeding behind me. Seconds later he rear-ended my car. It was really scary and I felt shocked but also lucky to be alive.
The next morning my body was in great pain. I couldn’t walk for three weeks and had a bunch of injuries.
It was a really difficult time because I felt like I had lost my independence and had to rely on others for help. I started to fall into a state of victim mentality. For two months I hardly left my house and became depressed.
Because I had an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in my knee, I began receiving physical therapy, acupuncture, and seeing a chiropractor who told me it would take a year to recover. My world shattered when he told me that and I felt hopeless.
I didn’t feel up to work and luckily had savings to fall back on, so instead I tried to focus on my recovery and use the time to upskill. I didn’t fully recover until this summer.
Webinars and LinkedIn courses introduced me to AI
During this time, I thought of Kobe Bryant. In the NBA, he suffered a knee injury but had a “mamba” mentality, insisting on overcoming it and coming back stronger.
I started watching AI webinars to work on my personal development to prepare for future work. I signed up for training courses on LinkedIn, attended AI conferences, read everything that was happening in AI, and continued to learn.
I thought, “What can I do now to have a stronger foundation?”
I remember when I was talking to an Apple manager who had offered me a job in the past and he said, “It’s harder to get into Apple than it is to get into MIT or Harvard, but you’re going to hire all the Harvard/MIT people and to come in, they’ll have to go through you.”
This gave rise to an idea to look at what AI programs these institutions offer. I headed to MIT and applied to its Professional Certificate in Innovation and Technology program.
Getting into the MIT program was a dream come true
I started crying when I found out I was accepted into the program in June because it was a dream come true. The course requires students to complete 16 or more days of “short programs” at MIT over three years. I funded the program from my savings.
I started the course in July. Over the next three years, I plan to use what I learned at MIT to build a career coaching business that uses AI and neuropsychology to help people upskill.
I also applied for AI recruiter roles while building my business. I hope I can work and support myself while I learn and build my business.
I’m glad I got laid off
If it wasn’t for losing my job and the car accident, I don’t think I would have gotten to this point in my life where I feel so strong. It showed me that persistence and pursuing my goals despite the odds paid off.
I’m thankful for the dark time I went through, even though it was painful, because it helped me realize what I wanted for my professional life and turned it into a positive.