DEFINITION: A poem guided by the alphabet. Each line or stanza begins with the first letter of the alphabet followed by each letter following, until the last letter is reached. Variations of the form occur.
 
ORIGIN: An ancient poetic form that was commonly used to compose letters, prayers, and hymns. The modern literary world relies on this form for children's books, mnemonic devices and lullabies (think Edward Gorey and Dr. Seuss).
 
LINES: Varies.
 
RHYME PATTERN: Varies. Contemporary abecedarian poetry doesn't rhyme, but there are clear metrical relationships. Children's versions often rhyme and are very sing-songy.
 
STANZAS: Varies.
 
OTHER NOTES:
 
EXAMPLES: John Disch's Abecedary, Carolyn Forché's Blue Hour, Edward Gorey, Dr. Seuss, and Mary Jo Bang's The Bride of E

A few weeks ago, my contract as a curriculum writer expired. It was a wonderful contract, but I knew that my work was done and there wasn’t an option for renewal (I had to say goodbye to $50 an hour, five hour days!). That left me scrambling for work to fill my schedule. You see, I work as a managing editor for Unsolicited Press, but that doesn’t result in a paycheck. It’s all ROI work and someday it will pay off, but today isn’t the day. I usually fill my days with freelance projects (editing and writing), but this fall has been slow, so I have been looking into a few outlets. Here is what I came up with – these companies are hiring in 2018 and if you are looking for a job, it’s important to get on board early.
 
1          Appen

• The company is looking for social media experts, customer service reps, and language specialists.

2          LiveOps

• Looking for more virtual call center agents to handle inbound and outbound calls.  They offer flexible hours.
• Office requirements include a corded telephone, a dedicated landline with telephone service, and a computer with a wired connection to the internet.

3          Amazon

• From customer service to IT, Amazon has dozens of job openings coming up at the end of 2017. Check their job board by searching “virtual”

4          VIPKID

• If you think you can teach kids and you have a background in English, then you just might make a full-time job out of teaching kids from other countries English. They require an extensive interview process, so be prepared for that. You must be comfortable on camera.

5          LanguageLine Solutions

• Are you a translator? You can make a real income here if you are hired on.

6          Hilton Worldwide

• Work for Hilton as a reservation agent and you don’t ever have to go to the office again.  And the best part: full benefits.

8          Cactus Communications

• English majors rejoice! This company offers benefits and the chance to edit. Woo hoo. They have medical and legal editing, among other fields.

9          Xerox

• Xerox offers positions at home in: Customer Care, Tech Support, Data Entry/Verification, Image Tagging, Quality Control, Systems Development, Software Programming, and Administrative/Business Support.

10        Kaplan

• Kaplan is looking to fill dozens of instructor and administrative positions for 2018.

11        K12

• If you are licensed teacher, then you can work from home writing curriculum and teaching children. This online public school needs teachers across the country.

12        CyberCoders

• Wanna make six figures and get benefits? Computer nerds should apply for the jobs at CyberCoders because they have tons of jobs ranging from entry-level to director.

13        Salesforce

• You can snag a job in marketing, tech, management, and programming with Salesforce. The company is trying to hire 150 people by the beginning of 2018 and all of them will receive full benefits. Potential parents look no further because this company offers 6 MONTHS of PAID LEAVE.

14        Wells Fargo

• You can work as a customer service rep with them.

15        Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

• Mostly account execs and sales associates being offered these jobs, but you have to check to see for yourself because it varies by state too.

16        PAREXEL

• Scientists! Find your next clinical research job from the comfort of your home.

17        Connections Education

• Like K12, this company is looking for licensed teachers.

18        Worldpay

• This banking and financial company is looking for account executive to build their client portfolio.

19        Vivint Smart Homes

• This company is actively seeking a tech support and customer service agent to field calls.

20        A Place for Mom

• This assisted living company needs inside/outside sales reps, financial reps, marketing gurus, and IT techs.

21        Adobe

• Adobe is looking for a handful of computer programmers.

22        Aon

• They are looking for sales reps for their services.

23        Grand Canyon University

• The university is looking for faculty, adjuncts, chairs, and admissions advisors.

24        American Express

• Amex wants experienced customer service reps to handle incoming calls.

 
Others that were hiring in 2017 and may still have positions open:
GreatAuPair, The Hartford, Motorola Solutions, Western Governors University, Walden University, Crawford & Company, Overland Solutions, an EXL company, Cigna, SYKES,  Citizens Bank, Achieve Test Prep, Kronos, CVS Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Lenovo, and American Heart Association.