Arlsbad, U.S.A — Some of the most appealing jobs in today’s workplace are underrated, while alluring jobs like advertising agency executive, photojournalist and public relations executive may hold cachet – but they also have a downside, landing them on the CareerCast.com list of most overrated jobs of 2012. Also placing on the most overrated jobs list were senior corporate executive, commercial airline pilot, stockbroker, surgeon and attorney.

“Poor outlook for future growth, long hours, stress and a multitude of new candidates entering the industry make it especially challenging to break into many of our overrated careers,” says Tony Lee, publisher, CareerCast.com. “Overrated jobs seem attractive from the outside, but often sound better than they really are.”

CareerCast.com’s Overrated Jobs list pinpoints careers that the rest of the world perceives as great, but the truth is somewhat different. The glamorous, Scotch-drinking ad agency executives portrayed on television’s popular “Mad Men” are unlike the ad agency executives on Madison Avenue today, who see job turnover resulting from the pressure of high expectations and the stress of competition for accounts with lower budgets.

Those looking for a rewarding career that has great advantages, including high growth, low stress and rewarding work, should consider the professions computer systems analyst, civil engineer, veterinarian, biologist and market research analyst, which all rank among CareerCast.com’s most underrated jobs.

“The most underrated jobs offer increasing opportunities and rewarding potential for job seekers new to the labor force, or those who need a change,” says Lee. “Some positions, such as veterinarian and school principal, require specialized advanced degrees, but you can become a plumber, electrician or automobile mechanic with additional training after high school.”

To read the full report, visit http://www.careercast.com/jobs-rated/most-overrated-jobs-2012.

The article Most Overrated and Underrated Jobs By CareerCast.com appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Mexico City, Mexico — KidZania, a global leader in children’s edutainment, have officially opened its largest children’s theme park yet, KidZania Cuicuilco, located in Mexico City. Not only does the park introduce children to new and relevant careers in a highly entertaining way, but for the first time, integrates innovative experiences to teach children environmental stewardship, empathy for kids with different abilities, how to make “good-for-you” food and recreation choices, hands-on driving and road safety via a fleet of kid-sized eco-friendly vehicles, and much more.  In this new expansive park experience, empowerment for kids has never been so vast, realistic and fun.

Fueled by a child’s natural desire to create, explore and collaborate, KidZania Cuicuilco is equal parts entertainment and education, making it one of the most progressive theme park concepts in the world today. Young visitors enter KidZania Cuicuilco through the park’s mock airport into the sprawling 150,000 square foot kid-sized city complete with 90 establishments, including city hall, a bank, restaurants, a hospital, sports stadium and more.  Once in the park, kids choose from among 120 different trades and professions that it takes to run a city.  It’s the ultimate role-playing experience for kids ages four to 14.

“KidZania Cuicuilco is our most inventive and engaging theme park yet,” says Xavier Lopez Ancona, president and founder of KidZania. “With KidZania Cuicuilco, we’ve introduced 21st century career choices, elevated awareness around global issues like the environment, and made certain that every child, no matter their level of ability, can participate. We’ve brought the most authentic and fun real-life experiences to life to help children understand and manage their ever-changing world. As we continue our global expansion, we look forward to bringing these new, relevant and awe-inspiring entertainment experiences to kids the world over.”

Following are just a few of the many unique, hands-on activities and experiences now available at KidZania Cuicuilco:

• More than 120 careers, including guide dog trainer (complete with real dog), mechanic, power plant operator, surgeon, CSI investigator, tortilla chef, road paver, and more.
• World’s most authentic driving experience for children – complete with driver’s education, auto insurance, and the largest fleet of electric kid-sized vehicles (minivans, SUVs, ambulances, city buses and police cars).
• Fully immersive environmental job experiences featuring an electric power plant, wind turbines, solar panels, and water treatment facility to emphasize the global importance of conservation.
• Recyclables drop-off center for the surrounding community, which is integrated into park activities.
• Three-story disaster center, which simulates flood, fire or earthquake and teaches children how to respond.
• Tools to help special needs children (and KidZania staff) navigate the park independently, as well as activities that allow typically-able kids to experience what it would be like to have a disability.

KidZania Cuicuilco also features a state-of-the-art security system to ensure a safe and fun experience for children navigating the park with or without their parents. Every child and parent/chaperone entering the park receives matching RFID-bracelets, providing the location of child and parent within a mere meter of the person’s location. While the children play, parents can relax in the parent’s lounge, which features a spa, movie room, restaurant and Internet (WiFi) cafe.

KidZania Cuicuilco has more than 90 global partners present in the park, including Nestle, LAN, Toyota, DHL, Berlitz, Evenflo, Manpower, Cartoon Network, Banco de Mexico and others. They are an integral part of the experiences and add authenticity to the career-based, role-playing activities.

The article The Largest Children Theme Park is Opened in Mexico City appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

In describing the many challenges present in life, Ken Beckley chooses to compare them to baseball’s most notorious pitches.

“Life is like a knuckleball, mainly because it is unpredictable, and also because the bottom tends to drop out,” he said.

This parallel between life and baseball serves as a hallmark of his book, titled “Knuckleball: The Uncertainties of a Life.” Beckley was present to promote his work at the Barnes & Noble at the St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville, Fla., from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The book details the trials and tribulations of Davie Miller, a young man who goes from losing his dream of playing professional baseball to enjoying a successful public relations career. The situations that he endures throughout this process give Miller the strength to prepare for and eventually counter “life’s frequent knuckleballs.”

While autographing his works for eager customers, Beckley described the inspirations that led him to write Knuckleball. For him, it all started during his time at a summer camp for the LA Dodgers. Beckley sustained injuries during his time at the camp, but despite these injuries leaving him in darkness, Beckley instead searched for a light in this trying time.

This search resulted in him detailing his own life experiences in a fictional novel; as Beckley’s book started to take shape, he wanted to not only make his readers laugh, but think as well.

“I wanted there to be life lessons present in this book, and I also wanted people to get something out of it other than merely being entertained,” he said.

Beckley admitted that the ideas for this book had remained in his mind for 20 years; however, converting those ideas to print took only two years. This rapid turnaround time is a likely result of his wealth of experience as a communicator; he served as executive vice-president of H.H. Gregg along with being president and CEO of the Indiana University’s Alumni Association. Beckley also enjoyed a long career in television as an anchor and reporter.

Many individuals came to Beckley’s location, eager to learn more about the novel’s general plot and its central message of not giving up even as life throws punches that you may not be able to counter. While he was happy to entertain conversations with the guests there, he expressed particular surprise at the presence of Ellie Clarke, a student at Flagler College.

Ellie is Beckley’s next-door neighbor, and her presence there served as an unexpected knuckleball for Beckley, as he had no idea that she would be present.

Beckley, however, ably hit this knuckleball out of the park, as he embraced her and took some time to catch up with her and learn about her new life.

Successfully dealing with unexpected situations like this forms the basis of what the book is about, noted Beckley. He hopes that those who choose to read it take stock of the decisions they have made in dealing with various situations.

“I hope that those who choose to read this book reflect upon how they have lived their lives up to this point,” he said.

Image Courtesy of   Ken Beckley

The article Ken Beckley Describes How to Deal With Life’s Knuckleballs appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.