I don't do interviews but one thing I will always look for in others is "passion for technology". If you code at nights for coding's sake you've got passion and I want to be your friend.
I know some people with a lot of "passion for technology" (Linux, Mac, iPhones) who are essentially idiots. Luckily, the only programming languages they barely know are Bash and the like, so they can't do much damage. Ass-kissing keeps them employed though.
Under pressure of mounting evidence and upon consideration I confess that "passion for technology" is not a sufficient criteria.
I guess there is more nuance to this.
Among my friends the ones I emphatise the most with are the ones who do something. Solve coding puzzles, write code that's useful for others, tinker with new technologies just to satisfy their own curiosity or even only talk about doing these things (which I think is a precursor). This in contrast to those who spend their free time watching TV, doing sports or hanging out.
OTOH I can easily believe that there are people who can do these coding things yet wouldn't be much fun at all. Somehow I just don't meet them.
