Ask HN: How did you got your job recently?
I kept reading all these threads that seems to imply that there are plenty of developer jobs available? Is this really the case?
Note, though, that that if is a big if. It is always difficult to get your foot in the door because everyone knows that it takes a lot of energy to get a new programmer up to speed on programming and your environment, and there is a high possibility of it not working out.
Soon after, I got an invitation to complete a survey regarding my experience and what they could do better. I haven't had that much fun filling out a survey in years. I told them that, in the 3 months since that conversation, I had started checking craigslist ads once a week for additional side work and had found 4 clients who paid me for exactly the sort of after-hours work that Gina said "nobody was intersted in." With an average of 30 minutes searching a week, I found a paying client every 3 weeks and they were getting 0% of the money I was making just because she was unwilling to pursue the work arrangement I was interested in. I cc'ed her manager (he had contacted me previously) on the e-mail and made it clear I couldn't recommend them to anyone I knew largely because of her unwillingness to compromise on what she thought her customers wanted.
In general, I don't mind recruiters in the same way that I don't mind garbagemen, stevedores and pharmaceutical reps - they're easily ignored and have little impact on my professional life. However, this was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up on. I still smile to think about it.
According to your story, she said "none of her clients have ever been interested in such an arrangement" - not that NOBODY IN THE WORLD was interested.
Going to her manager was VERY low, I actually feel bad for the recruiter for the way you handled this.