Can You Get a Job Without an ID?

Can you get a job without an ID? This is one question that applicants are likely to be bothered by. For many reasons, job applicants may not be willing to share their ID cards with prospective employers. If you are one of such individuals, maybe you are in the process of securing an ID and are worried that you cannot attend job interviews in the process.

Well, the simple answer to “Can you get a job without an ID?” is yes. There are jobs you are sure to get whether you write a modern resume or not. Such jobs usually don’t require you to submit your ID during or after the job interview. However, others require you to present an ID card before you can be hired, and rightly so.

In this article, we will show you the difference between these two job categories, starting with why employers ask for your ID. We will also highlight some jobs you can get without an ID card, and others you need ID cards for. We will also underline some of the easiest ID cards you can get in the US and how. Then we will tie up the article by clarifying whether or not you need an ID for a job interview.

Why Do Employers Ask for your ID

There are several reasons the majority of employers ask job applicants for IDs. These reasons can be summarized into the following related categories:

1. Identity Verification. Of course, the fundamental aim of ID cards is to verify the identity of a person. If a person says that they are such and such, the readiness of IDs makes it possible to confirm or contradict such claims. In this respect, IDs are like keys that help employers gain access to some level of information about you. Are you who you say you are? Have you been to prison? Are you an offender of some sort? When employers want to hire you and ask for your ID, they want answers to some of these questions. As such, the absence of IDs leaves them unwilling to employ you since all they know about you would depend on your claims. And that is not a reliable means of information gathering.
2. Citizenship. Citizenship or nationality is one of the most basic conditions for residing in a developed region in modern times. More than this, this condition also indicates whether or not you can work and earn within the region. An ID generally shows a person’s citizenship, serving as evidence of the person’s nationality. As such, if there are perks to being a citizen of a country, a person’s ID would function as the key to letting that happen. In the same vein, where there is no ID, a person cannot benefit from that perk. One such benefit is the right to be employed. Therefore, every decent employer would first ask for an ID before determining whether or not to hire you.
3. Eligibility for Employment. A reputable company needs to know that you are alright with the law before they can employ you. No such company is willing to have the IRS on its heels because it cannot account for its employees. Therefore, by asking for your ID, such companies can determine whether or not you are eligible to work with them. Otherwise, they would have to avoid every auditing exercise or shy away from paying taxes. None of these choices is reasonable, so reputable organizations will always ask for your ID before employing you.
4. Hiring You Without an ID is Illegal. In the United States, an individual who is not a citizen has to obtain a work permit before they can work. Getting a work permit is often a lengthy process, but it serves as a form of identity afterward. Therefore, once the permit is secured, the individual gains the right to work and cannot be considered an illegal worker once employed. On the contrary, employing an illegal worker, someone without a work permit, is a crime. The US government generally deports such workers and bars them from getting into the country for ten years. Meanwhile, the employer would be penalized.

Jobs You Get Without an ID

As noted earlier, some jobs require you to present IDs before you can be hired. For such jobs, no amount of career coaching can get you in, unless you are willing to show some proof that you are who you say you are. In such cases, the answer to the question, “Can you get a job without an ID” is a resounding No!

However, there are many other jobs where IDs are not required before, during, and after job interviews. Such jobs are usually menial jobs that don’t require any kind of bureaucratic validation. In other words, the employer would never need to explain themselves to the IRS, perform an audit, or do something along these lines. But there are exceptions on this front as well and these exceptions take the form of subcontracted (or outsourced) jobs.

Examples of jobs that don’t require you to present an ID to be hired include:

• Building and Construction
• Interior design
• Waiting staff
• Housekeeping
• Domestic management

For jobs such as these, you can honor invitations for interviews knowing that your refusal to present an ID does not mean you will not get the job.

Note that online jobs for positions such as social media manager, virtual assistant, and even freelance data analyst also do not require you to present an ID before you can be hired. However, such jobs require you to present some kind of proof regarding your capability. Even while working via a third-party service provider, you might need to show that you have some education or experience that would help you attend to the task effectively. In such cases, an ID might have little or no value. Instead, evidence of certification would be required of you.

Which Jobs Can’t You Get Without an ID?

Meanwhile, regarding jobs you cannot get unless you present an ID, examples of these include government jobs, jobs in the finance sector, human resources jobs, roles in marketing and sales, and roles in information technology (IT) and support.

1. Government Jobs. The main reason you cannot work in a government agency or parastatal is that such jobs have to do with administration and bureaucracy. It would be unreasonable for the government to hand over state duties, resources, and power to an individual they know little about.
2. Financial Sector. Information gathering vis-à-vis employee identity and background is also a fundamental process. Money is the primary fuel of the financial sector, so its effective management is often tied to the integrity of an individual or agency. How would employers in this sector determine integrity without first knowing the individual and their work history?
3. Human Resources. The Human resources industry is another important employment area that always asks for IDs for hiring applicants. This is because the department revolves around managing people. Therefore, the most basic information about such people, including their names, dates of birth, places of origin, and more, are necessary for this management endeavor.
4. Marketing and Sales. The marketing and sales industry is one of the few that combine both human management and the organization and reorganization of market forces. In other words, jobs under this category deal with people and money directly. This is why their interviews are often tough. Consequently, you cannot think about acing such interviews and getting hired into this industry without first presenting an ID.
5. Information Technology (IT) and Support. Regarding IT and support, the main reason that you must present an ID before you can be hired into a position is that the industry deals with sensitive information. Whether this information is about users, the integrity of the data, or the technological concepts and devices behind it, sensitive information is involved. Therefore, trusted individuals are needed to oversee such systems, even if they have a small chance of interacting with them.

So, for each of the 5 jobs and industries or sectors highlighted in this section, the answer to “Can you get a job without an ID” is a simple No.

How Can You Get an ID Card in the United States?

There are different kinds of ID cards that can be obtained in the US and used for work and in interviews. The main ones are the driver’s license, social security card, and Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Nevertheless, there are scores of ID cards that can verify a job applicant’s identity, even if temporarily. These include the green card (also known as the permanent resident card), student ID, military card (such as the Veteran ID Card (VIC) or the Department of Defense (DoD) card), passport card, original birth certificate, and several others.

Getting Driver’s License

A driver’s license is the easiest government ID to get. To get your driver’s license in the United States, you need to

• pass the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) vision test after proving that you are a legal resident of the United States,
• take and pass other multiple conceptual and theoretical tests where you prove that you know American road signs, and
• pass the practical driving test.

Getting the Social Security Card

To get a social security number (SSN) and card, you only have to visit an SSA office near you. There, you can apply for the number and card while presenting several fundamental documents about your identity and places of origin and residence.

Getting the Employment Authorization Document (EAD)

An EAD is the same as a work permit. It can come in two forms in the US: a permanent work permit or a non-immigrant visa permit. Getting either of these permits is usually only possible after you have applied to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). During the application process, you would be required to present several supporting documents to prove that you are not an illegal immigrant. Once USCIS has approved your application, you would be notified and your EAD would be available for your procurement.

Once you have obtained any of these three ID cards, you may never have to ask a career expert, “Can you get a job without an ID?” Instead, you can just go to every interview with your ID.

Do You Need an ID for a Job Interview?

Simply put, no. You do not need an ID for a job interview. For the majority of modern-day job interviews, IDs are not included in the requirements. One could argue that the interview process is too early for organizations to commit their resources to verify applicants’ identities. After all, most of these organizations have a reputation or are in the process of building one. Therefore, they would take time to check to make sure that their applicants are eligible for employment.

However, there are instances in which having an ID could better increase your chances. Of course, no organization can force you to hand over your ID before they employ you. But they can ask you to verify your identity before entering their building. In such instances, you have to show an ID that substantiates your claim or be prevented from taking your interview.

Ultimately, however, you do not need an ID for a job interview. For one, your ID is a sensitive possession and is not something that everybody should assess. Second, organizations usually only need to know their employees and have no business asking for the ID cards of ordinary job applicants. Such a decision is inappropriate, not to mention a waste of time and effort.

Conclusion

Can you get a job without an ID? If you read this article, you know the answer is yes. However, you also know that the kind of jobs you would get won’t pay a lot or offer any kind of security. However, there are exceptions. And even if there were no exceptions, you can always get a suitable ID card in the United States.