A message to anyone not finding work at home: quit looking. Paid teaching positions abroad are as plentiful and profitable as ever. Being a TEFL instructor isn't a recession-proof profession, but while many aspects of the global economy are suffering the TEFL industry is still full of eager students and well-paying jobs.

As unemployment rates climb, many people are looking into graduate programs and heaps of student loans. The upfront cost of TEFL certifications is not only a fraction of a graduate degree, but online TEFL certifications can be completed any time, so no one has to quit their job to earn a certification.

If the recent housing market has taught people anything, it is to avoid debt and unnecessary expenditures. Not only is a TEFL certification very reasonably priced (as low as $200), but life as a TEFL instructor puts you in an excellent position to save. Many schools will pay instructors' airfare, housing and don't take out income tax. It's not unrealistic for teachers to put away up to $1,000 a month into their savings -- debt-free cash.

The upfront investment for many schools is usually no more than a TEFL certification and the ability to naturally pronounce the English ... no graduate degree, no master's degree, and no reason to accrue a mountain of debt to live the dream of working abroad.

"For me it boiled down to an MBA or a TEFL certification. I figured the MBA program would always be there," said Bryce Levy. "As long as there were still plenty of well-paying TEFL jobs in Vietnam, that seemed like more of a timely decision."

Bryce Levy isn't alone. The Asian continent has literally billions of people, many of whom are in English classes and even more who are waiting for more English teachers to arrive.

Some economists are predicting the worst is over, while others say the U.S. economy will hit rock-bottom sometime later this year. While domestic workers sit around and worry about their job and the state of the economy, TEFL students worldwide are about to raise themselves up to a recession-proof career.

Since 1994, i-to-i has been the award-winning leader in volunteer vacations, TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) training and job placement abroad. Each year, i-to-i sends approximately 5,000 volunteers to 500 projects in 35 countries and helps 15,000 people gain the certification necessary to teach English overseas. i-to-i volunteers contributed approximately one million hours of service last year.

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