What DianaG means, I think, but which I would agree with if she did mean it, is that the one asking for someone’s occupation is usually not interested in how a respondent makes money, but in getting an idea of what they do all day. Since there’s many people who are not wage earners, I think it’s valid to say that you’re occupation is being a student.
Maybe.
I think that that person is asking you how do you make a living. The answer to that is often interesting.
I was on the company’s payroll. I received a fortnightly salary on which I paid tax. My job description was “university student”.
In my book, that equals “Occupation: student”.
Why is it more interesting than “what do you do all day?”
I don’t make a living. My husband does that. And ‘housewife’ looks a lot better than ‘mooch’.
Besides, many online forms that ask for your occupation will have ‘student’ and ‘housewife’ as choices. I think you’re in the minority on this one.
Depends on whether we’re going by the dictionary or the Bureau of Labor Statistics definition of ‘unemployed.’
Merriam-Webster defines ‘unemployed’ as “not employed” and “not engaged in a gainful occupation.” But M-W isn’t calculating the U-3 unemployment rate.
Perhaps. But it’s a different question.
But what does “gainful” mean, then? It doesn’t necessarily mean “money.”
“Alaska crab fisherman” would be more likely to be interesting to someone else than “retired”, I would think. Or “student” or “housewife”.
“What do you do” is usually the last thing I think to ask someone I meet. I’m nosier than that.
But then every college town seems to have its fair share of “professional students.” 
I think putting “student” down under “occupation” is a fair call. “Unemployed” can often carry connotations of being down and out, a bum, whether that’s fair or not. At least a student is at least theoretically engaged in something productive.
Sure it does. It means money, or those things we want money for.
“What is your occupation?” is not the same question as “What do you do for a living?”.
I still don’t understand why students are so sensitive, but after poking around in ATMB for a while I think I know why this thread was moved. The rule, paraphrased:
No stirring shit up outside the Pit.
Didn’t mean to, but I plead naivete.
Funny, posters get away with dropping cute little bon mots such as “slack jawed”, “trailer trash”, “nascar whatever” and the like.
Erm, what? You want the entire world to change its definition of “Occupation” to fit some silly idea you had? You’re deluded.
Don’t worry about it. He brought his own.
What, are you with the IRS or something?
I can kind of see what you are saying here, but it makes sense to point out that Alaska crab fisherman as an occupation isn’t interesting merely because one can make money as an Alaska crab fisherman - rather, it is interesting because of what it means for how that person spends their day.
Exactly. I could tell you what I do for a living, but I assure you, it’s not especially interesting. And I’d wager that very few people feel that the manner in which they earn their living is the most interesting thing about them.
Which is, just maybe, why it’s not the first thing I ask, huh.
You people need to quit injecting superlatives into my statements.
I think I’m through here. I’ve encountered one of those “vocal minorities”.
Are you serious? The entire world minus a few half-cocked would-be grammar Nazis is a “vocal minority” now? Whatever, man. Go ahead and run home crying.
Vocation =|= Occupation.
Meaning a student has an occupation, but not a vocation.
Yes. “Business Owner” is an occupation.
A trade show I went to a while back had the usual nosey form to fill out for entry. Under Occupation they had the usual Management, Sales, Technical, etc. unti you got to the bottom where one check-box was labeled Student / Unemployed / Idle Rich Nothing about Retired, though.