I definitely get what you're saying, but it really depends on whether you're hiring someone to be a Python expert, or someone to be a great software developer.

I definitely get what you're saying, but it really depends on whether you're hiring someone to be a Python expert, or someone to be a great software developer. If you need a Python expert (someone who knows the ins and outs of the language right off the bat), you're absolutely right. If you need more generally just a great software developer though, as long as they can show they're a great programmer in a couple different languages and paradigms, whether or not they remember the specifics of how to do String operations in Python, is irrelevant. They can learn that pretty easily. It also depends on whether or not the job in question asked for tons of Python experience as a requirement, or if software development experience was required but only familiarity with Python specifically.