The best hiring outcomes I've ever seen was a program manager who hired entirely on attitude. As long as you had programmed something/anything in the past, if you could sit through a 45 minute interview and have a great attitude you were hired. That company went from years of stagnation to doubling over the next two years.

It makes sense. If you have a great attitude about your work you'll learn and do whatever you need to.

The other key was this program manager wanted to be known as having the highest paid tech staff in the area.