This career wasn't part of his life plan as young man, and when you hear what his interests were, what he did when he skipped school, you'll appreciate the trajectory he took.
He was well on his way toward violence and incarceration, selling drugs in his corner of Washington DC. When he started applying for jobs, it wasn't because he needed money, it was because he needed a paystub - proof of consistent, legal income in order to rent an apartment.