History Main / ObliquelyObfuscatedOccupation

** He does occasionally work at the quarry, when it's helpful to the plot. And one episode has Fredbeing responsible for Barney being fired from the quarry and helping him get a job as repo agent.

* In one of the stories of ''S.O.S. Bonheur'', a man got a job in a firm, in which no employee knows the purpose of his daily job. They are analyzing numbers but have no idea what those numbers represent. It is later revealed that [[spoiler: the so-called democratic government is a dictatorship, and this company is spying everybody so that the CEO of the firm, who is also the chief of the police, can detect the rebellious citizens.]]

* In ''The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet'', Ozzie's job involved hanging around the house a lot, although he was, nominally, a bandleader, as he was in real life.

** He does occasionally work at the quarry, when it's helpful to the plot.

* In the ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes Tenth Anniversary Book'', cartoonist Bill Watterson says he wanted to avoid readers asking "What is Dad's job?", so he made Calvin's father a patent attorney. However, it only comes up in three strips: [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1988/12/03 The one where Calvin calls him at work demanding a story]], [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/09/01 the one where Calvin tries to patent his robot]], and [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/01/23 the one where Calvin invents a personal tailhook]].

* PlayedForDrama in ''Literature/TheBoyInTheStripedPajamas'', where Bruno's father hides his occupation from his son, since he take orders directly from "[[AdolfHitler The Fury]]". [[DramaticIrony It's pretty obvious to the audience what Dad does, though]].

* ''Series/TheITCrowd'' plays it straight for the most part, but lampshades it occasionally (see page quote).

* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' has Barney, who answers every question about his job with a dismissive laugh and a "please." It is stated, however, that the company destroys the environment, engages in a great deal of illegal activity, and does extensive business with North Korea. In later seasons, the company has a merger with Goliath National Bank, completely changing his company... while still keeping Barney's position equally vague. The final season reveals that his job title is actually [[spoiler:P.L.E.A.S.E. - "[[FunWithAcronyms Provide Legal Exculpation And Sign Everything]]". He's the designated legal fall guy for his company's various criminal activities but, being Barney, he's actually two steps ahead of them, and has already made a whistle-blower deal with the federal government that gets him off the hook]].

* One of the biggest mysteries in ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' throughout its run was "What is Jeff Boomhauer's job?" It wasn't until the last minutes of the last episode does it reveal he is a [[spoiler: Texas Ranger]].

* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'': When asked what Jayne's job aboard the good ship ''Serenity'' actually is, Mal Reynolds replies, "Public relations." [[JediTruth Which is true, for a very specific section of the "public" and equally specific definition of "relations."]]
** He's also the ship's tracker. It's only alluded to two or three times, and one of those times, the tracks are so obvious no skill is required.

->''"BHDR Industries, they're the top makers of that product that has something to do with our company!"''
-->--'''Jen''', ''TheITCrowd''

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* ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}''. The title character is an engineer (along with most of the rest of the cast), and there are references to creating software, but that's about as much details as you're going to get.
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* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': Chandler's generic, white-collar job is set up as a trivia question, but nobody can answer what he does. It's "statistical analysis and data reconfiguration."
--> '''Rachel''': "He's a .. he's a [[CrowningMomentOfFunny transpondster]]!"
--> '''Monica''': "[[PerfectlyCromulentWord That's not even a WORD!]]

->"''BHDR Industries, they're the top makers of that product that has something to do with our company!''"

->'''Lily''': "''Barney, what do you do?''"
->'''Barney''' (Dismissive): "''Please.''"
-->--''Series/HowIMetYourMother''

* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' has Barney, who answers every question about his job with a dismissive laugh and a "please." It is stated, however, that the company destroys the environment, engages in a great deal of illegal activity, and does extensive business with North Korea. In later seasons, the company has a merger with Goliath National Bank, completely changing his company... while still keeping Barney's position equally vague. The final season reveals that his job title is actually [[spoiler:P.L.E.A.S.E. - "[[FunWithAcronyms Provide Legal Exculpation And Sign Everything]]". He's the designated legal fall guy for his company's various criminal activities but, being Barney, he's actually two steps ahead of them, and has already made a whistleblower deal with the federal government that gets him off the hook]].

* A cutscene from ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' invoked this trope when Lloyd asked Sheena and Zelos what a company president does. Regal [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] it.

* No one really knows what IDs from ''LeastICouldDo'' does.

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* Touya from ''Anime/CardCaptorSakura'' seems to get a new part-time job each chapter.
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* {{Lampshaded}} in ''Film/TheLegoMovie''. President Business, aka Lord Business, is the head of Octan, which does ''everything.'' [[spoiler: His real-world counterpart, The Man Upstairs (played by Creator/WillFerrell), is a straight example. We don't know what he does, but by implication we can infer that it takes up a great deal of his time.]]

* Pretty much the entire faculty of Unseen University in ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', which is quite a feat considering [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep we only know them all by their job descriptions]] (it's hard enough to figure out what a Provost does in real life). Exceptions are Archchancellor Ridcully (who's in charge), the Bursar (who does the accounts...as long as he remembers to take his pills), the Librarian (who runs the library), and Ponder Stibbons (who does [[BeleagueredAssistant all the things that need doing]], including distracting Ridcully from asking what, exactly, everyone else does). Rincewind is explicitly stated as having nineteen jobs, none of which involve doing any actual work. The real purpose of the faculty is that if the world's most powerful wizards are in pointless committee meetings and big dinners, they aren't blowing holes in reality.

* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' has Barney, who answers every question about his job with a dismissive laugh and a "please." It is stated, however, that the company destroys the environment, engages in a great deal of illegal activity, and does extensive business with North Korea. In later seasons, the company has a merger with Goliath National Bank, completely changing his company... while still keeping Barney's position equally vague.
** [[spoiler: Revealed in the final season that his job title is actually P.L.E.A.S.E. - "[[FunWithAcronyms Provide Legal Exculpation And Sign Everything]]". He's the designated legal fall guy for his company's various criminal activities but, being Barney, he's actually two steps ahead of them, and has already made a whistleblower deal with the federal government that gets him off the hook.]]

* A British TV series featured a school teacher whose ''subject'' was unknown. When other teachers asked him what he taught, he replied, "[[WhatsAHenway Bastards]]".

* In the ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes Tenth Anniversary Book'', cartoonist Bill Watterson says he wanted to avoid readers asking "What is Dad's job?", so he made Calvin's father a patent attorney. However, it only comes up in about two strips at most.
** Three, actually. [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1988/12/03 The one where Calvin calls him at work demanding a story]], [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/09/01 the one where Calvin tries to patent his robot]], and [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/01/23 the one where Calvin invents a personal tailhook]].

* No one really knows what [[LeastICouldDo IDs]] does.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' has two of the Mane Six with explicit jobs that we don't see them doing.[[note]]As opposed to three that have one and have been shown doing it (though [[{{Bookworm}} Twilight]] straddles the border of this Trope).[[/note]]
** Pinkie Pie, who works and lives in a bakery, but we rarely see her doing anything but holding parties and breaking the fourth wall. Most likely, Pinkie's job at the bakery is just that, a job, and unlike most of her friends, her job is not a major part of who she is.
** Similarly, Rainbow Dash is the town's weatherpony -- that is, she ''controls'' the weather, not being a meteorologist -- but rarely is she ever seen doing that job, as she spends most of her 'professional energies' on practicing her flying, to the point that it's easy to forget that she has a day job. When she ''does'' do the job, she tends to be ''extremely'' competent at it, giving her effectively a [[OneHourWorkWeek Ten-Second Work Week]].
* [[FriendToAllLivingThings Fluttershy]] might count as this trope, as running an animal shelter appears to be her full-time occupation but it's not clear whether she actually gets paid to do it. Fanon has it she's employed by a wildlife preservation charity or the local park service.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' has two of the Mane Six with explicit jobs that we don't see them doing.[[note]]As opposed to three that have one and have been shown doing it (though [[{{Bookworm}} Twilight]] straddles the border of this Trope) and one other with no job ''per se'', but we see [[FriendToAllLivingThings what she does]].[[/note]]

* {{Lampshaded}} in ''Film/TheLegoMovie''. President Business, aka Lord Business, is the head of Octan, which does ''everything.'' [[spoiler: His real-world counterpart, The Man Upstairs (played by Creator/WillFerrel), is a straight example. We don't know what he does, but by implication we can infer that it takes up a great deal of his time.]]

* Johnny of ''Film/TheRoom'' is vaguely defined as working in a bank, and he apparently makes mad amounts of money from it, despite only being shown going to work once.

* On ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'', Ren would occasionally be shown going to work wearing a hat and tie and carrying a briefcase, but what job he had was never specified.

* On ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'', Barney's occupation - aside from occasional [[NewJobEpisode single episode jobs]] he and Fred get together - is never clarified. It became a running joke, such that in one episode, when Wilma and Betty are trying to impress someone by lying about how prosperous their families are, Wilma claims Fred is "[[ExactWords in the construction business]]" while Betty claims Barney is in "[[WhatExactlyIsHisJob top secret work]]."
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. Homer's job at the power plant was Chief Safety Inspector, but as the years dragged on, Homer never seemed to go to work anymore, which became {{lampshaded}} a few times lately.

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* ''TheSmokingRoom'' Justified: the series lasts two seasons where the camera never leaves the smoking room, and the characters have all agreed to never talk shop in there, so the audience never finds out what the company does.
** As well, mainish character Robin also spends the entire show in the smoking room, so while all the other characters have specific roles, his is never touched on.
* ''TheITCrowd'' plays it straight for the most part, but lampshades it occasionally (see page quote).
* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' has Barney, who answers every question about his job with a dismissive laugh and a "please."
* ''BlackBooks'' lampshades and inverts when Fran gets a new job, [[MistakenForProfound rises spectacularly through the ranks]], and loses it in the space of a week or so, all without ever knowing what she was meant to be doing.
* ''{{Friends}}'': Chandler's generic, white-collar job is set up as a trivia question, but nobody can answer what he does. It's "statistical analysis and data reconfiguration."

* In the Fred Savage sitcom ''Working'', it was never mentioned what the corporation did.
* A running joke on ''{{Martin}}'' with Tommy. To the extent that multiple episodes were dedicated to trying to find out what his job was.
* Kramer on ''{{Seinfeld}}'' appears by all accounts to be unemployed, but is never hurting for money. When Jerry asks him what it is he actually does, he simply answers "Oh, I get by."
** In the [[YouMeanXmas Festivus episode]], Kramer reveals that [[spoiler:he used to work at a bagel shop before the employees went on strike demanding higher pay. When the strike is called off, he goes back to work... [[StatusQuoIsGod until he's fired at the end of the episode.]]]]
* In {{The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet}}, Ozzie's job involved hanging around the house a lot, although he was, nominally, a bandleader, as he was in real life.
* A British TV series featured a school teacher whose ''subject'' was unknown. When other teachers asked him what he taught, he replied, "Bastards".

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* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in ''MyCage'', where Norm does some kind of work for a company called MacGuffin Inc, whose purpose is unknown.

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* On ''TheFlintstones'', Barney's occupation - aside from occasional [[NewJobEpisode single episode jobs]] he and Fred get together - is never clarified. It became a running joke, such that in one episode, when Wilma and Betty are trying to impress someone by lying about how prosperous their families are, Wilma claims Fred is "[[ExactWords in the construction business]]" while Betty claims Barney is in "[[WhatExactlyIsHisJob top secret work]]."