when i hire people, i look for one thing.. are they smart... period.. end of story. if they pass what i think is smart ( and yes its subjective), the you start to drill down into experience, personality, etc. Smart people apply what they have learned to a variety of skills, and are willing to learn more. You can find them anywhere.. one of the best hires i ever found was in an ice cream shop.. she became one of the best PMs i ever had.. We put so many people into silos, sometimes the solution is staring you right in the face!!