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When Checkmate, a fast-growing Kiwi tech company operating in 12 countries, brings on Mission Ready graduates, they’re not just looking for technical skills — they’re looking for people who can deliver.
As Chief Commercial Officer Peter Hooper explains, what stands out about Mission Ready graduates is their ability to think, adapt, and solve problems from day one.
“We’re not after people who can read textbooks and complete tests.
We’re after people who can solve problems.”
At Mission Ready, we've started calling it the MILE — Mentored In-Work Learning Experience.
It’s where learning meets the real world. Candidates work on live projects, guided by mentors and supported by partner companies like Checkmate.
Through these experiences, people often surprise themselves with how fast they grow. Many are career shifters — from hospitality, design, or logistics — who discover that their past experience becomes a secret advantage.
Peter sees it every time:
“Those shifting careers often become professionals faster.
They’ve seen real deadlines, real pressure, real people — and they bring that mindset into tech.”
Mission Ready interns at Checkmate have:
Each project builds confidence and clarity — the moment when people realise, “I can actually do this.”
Employers like Checkmate know that technology changes fast, but adaptability and problem-solving never go out of style.
That’s why MILEs work: they give you the space to prove what you can do, learn from real mentors, and turn learning into results.
Four out of five Mission Ready graduates now work in tech roles — not because they memorised content, but because they showed they could deliver.
If you’re ready to take your own MILE, this is where to start.