Most of the time, Barney isn't a great person. He manipulates women on a daily basis, and his elaborate schemes can easily get out of hand. Yet, somehow, he's the funniest in the cast, and viewers often find themselves rooting for him over the other characters. There's something about Barney Stinson that just easy to love.
For the majority of How I Met Your Mother, Barney's career was a mystery to the gang. Viewers got glimpses of his office life, but never enough to put the pieces together. His job was finally revealed at the end of the series, and despite making some good decisions, it's shocking that he was able to keep it.
Best: His Motivational Posters In His Office
The motivational posters hung on the wall behind Barney's desk didn't go unnoticed by fans. While some of the posters are classic, others were created and printed by Barney himself. The posters remind everyone who comes into the office of Barney's positive outlook on life and inspires the other workers. Granted, some of the sayings are a bit unconventional, such as his conformity poster, but overall, they encourage people to "keep being awesome."
Worst: Voting For Sven's GNB Design
When Ted is in a career slump, Barney convinces GNB to let him draw up a design for their new building. Ted's pitch goes well, and as Barney says himself, he's the best person for the job. After Ted, another architecture firm pitches an unrealistic design that doesn't represent GNB. But Barney is so excited about working in a Tyrannosaurus Rex that he votes for Sven's pitch instead of Ted's. Not only did he make the wrong decision for his company, but he betrayed his best friend.
Best: Telling Everyone What He Does For A Living Without Telling Them (P.L.E.A.S.E.)
Barney's career is kept under wraps for good reason. Most of the things he does for his company are extremely illegal, and it's wouldn't take much to put him behind bars. But, Barney never lies about his job to his friends. They just don't realize it.
Whenever the gang asks Barney what he does for a living he says "please." They always assume he's brushing them off, but in reality, he's telling them exactly what they want to know. P.L.E.A.S.E is an acronym for Barney's position. It stands for "Provide Legal Exculpation And Sign Everything."
Worst: He Knows Things About The Company That Could Get Him Killed
There's such a thing as a person knowing too much about the people they work for. Sometimes, it's better to stay in the dark so no one can hold them accountable. The amount of information Barney has about GNB's illicit activities could easily get him killed by the company or by a competitor. GNB doesn't have a great track record, and it wouldn't be a shocker if they had a hitman who assassinated anyone they needed to keep quiet.
Best: Getting Ted And Marshall Jobs
Barney always wants to spend time with his friends, so getting Ted and Marshall jobs at his company wasn't necessarily a sacrifice on his part. He managed to help the company, his best friends, and himself all at the same time. Barney was so attached to the idea of Ted and Marshall working with him that he went out of his way to make sure it would happen. When Marshall eventually left GNB, Barney threw a fit and begged him not to go.
Worst: Starting A Feud With The Worker In The Nextdoor Building
It's never a good idea to start a feud with someone, especially if they have access to your food. Barney has an ongoing rivalry with Clark Butterfield, a man who works in the building next to him.
They spy on each other with binoculars and pull pranks that are so disturbing, their health is at risk. Everyday Barney walks into work, he needs to make sure that he's watching his back.
Best: His "Conference Calls" With Marshall
When Barney and Marshall decide that they'd rather hang out than work, one of them pops into the other's office and tells them they're about to start a conference call. They excuse themself from whatever meeting they're in and sneak up to the roof to have a beer. It's definitely not a smart thing to do since they could get fired for drinking on the clock, but they never face any consequences for their actions. It ends up being a smart and easy way for them to blow off steam in the middle of the workday.
Worst: He's Responsible For The Merger Falling Through
The series was fuzzy with the details, but there was an entire episode of How I Met Your Mother dedicated to Barney almost getting fired. Marshall tells the gang that a big merger fell through at GNB and that Barney is going to get blamed for it. Given the kind of sketchy things Barney does for the company and the lack of work viewers actually see him do, it feels safe to say that Barney was in some way responsible for whatever went wrong.
Best: Using His Revenge Plan To Get A Job
When Barney's girlfriend leaves him for an older man named Greg, Barney hatches a long-term plan to get his revenge. He reinvents himself, infiltrates Greg's workplace, and reveals Greg's illegal activity to the FBI. Even after Greg is arrested Barney sticks around at the company, and ends up turning it into his career. Leave it to Barney to perfectly implement a revenge plot and get a well-paying job along the way.
Worst: Signing Contracts Without Reading Them
One of the biggest components of Barney's job is signing contracts for GNB. However, he never reads what they say. Marshall ends up reading one of the contracts on Barney's desk and tells him, "It seems like if these contracts are not executed precisely, we will be at war with Portugal." Barney doesn't bat an eye and tells Marshall that it's an average Tuesday for him. He doesn't seem at all concerned about the contract's contents or the repercussions he could face by signing them.