I wonder if the Federal Government would hire this man in IT at 62, let him work for 5 years, and retire, since he's passed 60. In fact, since he already has 1 year in Federal service, he would only need to work there 4 more years to meet the 5 year minimum requirement for 60 and older employees, to qualify for retirement. I think they would take him back if he were White, and worked IT in the Federal Government before.
He has two bachelor degrees, and one year of grad school, and he's in need of a job right now. It just doesn't seem right to make him start all over again at his age. He has rent and other bills to pay, and early Social Security ain't gonna cut it. He lost a few jobs here and there, but not for nothing real serious. He has no criminal record whatsoever, and he doesn't get high. His last job forced him out because of arthritis in his knee.
Like I was saying, it just doesn't seem right watching this man have to start all over again at 62, with no years towards any kind of pension, with all the knowledge he has. I'm watching him go on interviews, and not getting called back...something I went through years ago when I first got into IT. He went on a second job interview recently from this company, and they showed him all around, and got his hopes up. But they've been known to do that, and never get back with you. I hope this isn't the case. It's not cool for a 62 year-old to be going through what a 32 year-old goes through.
Right now, he's practically in the same boat as a lot of older cats from my hood, who never stepped foot in college. But at least he earned enough quarters to qualify for Social Security, unlike some cats I know, who couldn't leave the drugs alone, and got a record, or only worked jobs that paid cash, that didn't take out FICA. We both started working IT at the same time on my old IT job, although he only lasted a year. They got rid of him for doing something I think a lot of White people have done...and nothing happened to them. Anyway, that's where I met him. We've kept in touch ever since then.
Something just isn't adding up. But I can't put all the blame on him, because I was almost in the streets myself, when that same IT job ran me out after 11 years. For the first time in my life, I identified with how easy it was to lose everything, and become homeless, regardless of all the credentials I had. But I digress. If anybody working for the Feds can pull any strings for an older bi-racial cat like him, hit me back. At this point, any Federal job would be cool with him, or any job period. He lives in the DMV btw.
