Since the start of the year, one game, and five letters, seem to have taken over the internet.
Wordle, the simple puzzle that requires users to guess a random five-letter word each day, has become quite the phenomenon.
From 90 daily players when it launched in November to more than two million daily users – and counting – people can’t seem to get enough of Wordle, which is run via a web page as opposed to a mobile app.
The premise is simple: you have six guesses to find the correct word. Any letter that is in the word, but in the wrong place, shows up as yellow, and any correct letter guessed in the right place shows up green. There is just one word each day, and it’s the same for everyone playing across the globe.
Users are able to share their scores on social media without revealing the day’s word to other players, and the website keeps a nice tally of your stats for you.
And while Wordle likes to keep things nice and simple, there are a couple of tricks to switch things up …
Hard Mode
Those who find the standard version of Wordle a little too easy are in luck, as there’s a way to up the stakes. If you want to make things slightly more difficult, you can switch the settings to Hard Mode. In the top right-hand corner of your Wordle screen, you’ll see the settings icon, where you have the option to change modes.
In Hard Mode, whenever you reveal a letter, you have to use that letter in any subsequent guesses, limiting your options to find as many clues as possible in your first few guesses.
Colour Blind Mode
Also in the setting options, you’ll find Colour Blind Mode. Wordle introduced this after feedback from users who were unable to detect the difference between green and yellow squares, making it near-impossible. Colour Blind Mode changes squares to higher contrasting colours – orange and blue – allowing people to identify where letters should be placed more easily.
You can pin Wordle to your phone's home screen
While Wordle doesn’t have an app, there is a way to pin the website to your home screen, to save you manually searching for it every day.
Users just need to open the website in their phone’s browser, and find the option to pin the web page to their home screen.
For iPhone users, open the web page in Safari and find the Share icon in the centre of the bottom toolbar (the square icon with the upwards arrow). Scroll down and select “add to home screen”.
For Android users, open Wordle in Google Chrome. Tap the three dots to the right of the web address and scroll down to find the “add to home screen” option.
Both will then ensure Wordle appears on your homepage, taking you straight to the game.
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
NYBL PROFILE
Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
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Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
