I applied over a year ago for a position, and recently contacted by a recruiter from the UK for a job in NY. It was confusing getting grilled over a job that I applied to LAST YEAR, and not paying attention to the fact that I did not return to banking not because other employers were not interested, but that COVID got in the way of many things for a lot of people: closures, relocations, etc. The gig sector does exist, and if I chose to seek contracts as a freelancer in lieu of regular employment, I give myself a pat on the back for trying and being motivated--it is not a reason for criticism, as to not supposedly having minimum 2 years experience, or the fact that I refused to discuss salary range of any type on my first conversation with someone I have never met, calling me on a 12 month plus old profile I submitted (and I happened to not initially not be able to update online due to tech issues on their company site). Do I need to say more?