Not programming, but in the same vein, A Trek Bicycle store manager asked me in an interview if I would be willing to work a trial shift the next day building bicycles. Unpaid, of course. Just to see if I was a good fit.
Of course, since I was used to building 50 a day, I would have gotten all of them done in a single shift whereas they were needing to call in stores from surrounding areas to come help in a few days.
I laughed and said if they needed help tomorrow I would be happy to work for my usual fee of $20/bike.
Oddly, I did not get the job
Look, if you want to wrangle with a bear to try and get that pelt, you go right ahead.
I've had enough suffering in my lifetimes, I'm hunkering down and waiting for the department of temporal investigations to show up and take me home.
Besides, you need at least 3μg of pergium, which I'm sure I don't have to remind anyone is not native to the solar system.