By Tyler Parsons

The short answer is, yes! A higher education degree will always look great on a resume and help you stand out amongst other candidates applying for a position teaching English abroad. While it may not guarantee you a job over another teacher without one, the experience is definitely something that will catch the attention of schools during the hiring process and lead to interviews!

With that being stated, there are still some things to consider when applying to teaching jobs with a Master’s degree.

By Michael Kunik

Stretching from the western shores of North Africa across the Sahara to the Levant, the Arabian Peninsula and into the heart of Central Asia, the Middle East is a vast and diverse region not only from the standpoint of its cultures and geography, but in terms of the opportunities it offers certified English teachers as well.

In the wealthy Arab nations of the Persian Gulf region, English teachers can command some of the highest salaries and finest benefit packages in the world and must compete in a competitive job market. Often schools in this region of the Middle East will require English teaches to have a Master’s Degree (sometimes in education) and previous teaching experience, on top of their TEFL certification. That's not to say it's impossible for first-time teachers to get a job in this region (especially in Saudi Arabia), but you will need to be persistent, patient and flexible in your job search. Those who qualify for such positions will enjoy some of the highest salaries in the field as pay can range from $2,500 - $6,000 a month, plus free housing and flights to and from the teacher’s home country.

By Tyler Parsons

Recently we took a look and shared 15 celebrities who took the leap to teach English abroad before they were famous (we’re not saying teaching English abroad will make you famous— unless you can act like Ed Norton or make a living pranking Dwight) and it got us thinking a bit.

What if fictional TV characters had the choice to teach English abroad? Would they jump on the opportunity, and if so, where in the world would they teach? And since there is no wrong answer here, we figured we would take an educated guess or seven.

Destination 2022: Qatar

Want to teach English in the world's richest country?

According to the CIA World Factbook and Forbes, the Arabian nation of Qatar holds the title of the "richest country of the world," boasting an annual average per capita income of $103,768.60. For a little perspective, that's more than double the average annual per capita income in the United States!

If there is a place in this world where all that is imaginable can come true, it may not be Disney's Magic Kingdom, or even Las Vegas, but rather the Emirate city-state of Dubai where the motto seems to be  “if you can think it, it shall be done”.

Here, immense wealth and creative planning and development have produced a city that boasts the world’s tallest building (Burj Khalifa); a sky center in the desert; the world's largest natural flowers garden (The Miracle Garden); indoor skiing in the heart of the Middle East; exquisite shopping malls; world class restaurants; sophisticated clubs and bars; and much, much more! 

• Do you seek international travel and adventure?
• Are you interested in learning Arabic while immersing yourself in the mystique and culture of Arabia?
• Would you like to receive an excellent salary and benefits while teaching English in the Middle East?

If there is a country that truly captures the essence of travel itself, it may be Morocco, a nation of sparkling beaches, epic mountains and grand medieval cities that has entranced visitors since the Romans arrived 2,000 years ago. In fact, the country's most famous figure and national symbol is perhaps the greatest traveler of all time, Ibn Battuta, the 14th century explorer who traveled more than 75,000 miles from his home in Tangier to China and back.