Having spent my life during and since university consulting/freelancing at a kinda senior level from the start effectively, I basically never was able to get a

Having spent my life during and since university consulting/freelancing at a kinda senior level from the start effectively, I basically never was able to get a full-time role when I wanted one, because I think that I did not fit the hirers' (overly narrow) mental model. This has persisted for decades. I think their close-mindedness ultimately hurts the hiring businesses. (I have ended up creating multiple businesses and have switched to academic research instead.) I suggest that you work round the problem, rather than expecting them to see sense.