Inside parcelLab: Interview with Angus

Key Facts

Name: Angus Knights

Age: 26

Position at parcelLab: UK Partnership Manager

Originally from: The New Forest, Hampshire (small village in the south of the UK)

1. Briefly tell us what your everyday working life at parcelLab looks like?

No two days are the same! Often I work out of our buzzing Hammersmith office, picking up emails and working with our technical team to create amazing solutions for our clients. Other days I hit the road, travelling up and down the country (and outside it), to meet with our exciting and varied retailer partners

2. Tell us about your professional career

I accidentally fell into the Business Dev/Sales space by joining a startup in the speech recognition space that was looking for support in its commercial team. Fast forward a few years and I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing different but related roles; cutting my teeth as an SDR and implementing new processes and systems in Sales Operations. After two great years at Speechmatics I joined parcelLab and now have the pleasure of running a full sales cycle from outbound to closing, with a healthy dose of other projects thrown in for good measure. 

3. What do you like most about parcelLab and your job?

I love the trust and autonomy that the team give every employee. You feel enabled to go out and achieve whatever you want, and that’s a really rewarding feeling. The people are also the company’s greatest asset – it’s a really positive environment.

4. In your opinion, what makes parcelLab unique?

We’re operating in an entirely new category – optimising the customer’s operational experience during the post-purchase phase of online retail. It sounds like a mouthful, but being in a new and rapidly growing category is very unique and a lot of fun.

5. What are the characteristics of the perfect parcelLab candidate?

Great parcelLab candidates must be comfortable with ambiguity, must be able to function with autonomy, and have the initiative and motivation required to create and manage their own workload. Nobody will be tapping you on the shoulder to check your progress!

6. How would you describe the working atmosphere at parcelLab?

The working atmosphere at parcelLab is extremely positive. We’re a rapidly growing company, and you will get an immediate sense that we’re on a mission. But even when everyone is extremely busy, the team always has time for collaboration when you need it the most.

7. What was your favourite moment at parcelLab so far? And why?

It was super exciting to win our first UK customer! I feel like this was confirmation that our platform offers up a lot of value, and since then we’ve had the confidence to go from strength to strength in starting new partnerships.

8. What qualities and strengths have you gained during your time at parcelLab?

parcelLab has definitely helped me to improve my time management – there are so many parts to full-cycle sales that need to be carefully balanced. It’s helped me to grow my confidence and skills in customer facing activities. I’ve learnt to ask better questions, and really develop my listening. And all this learning is showing no signs of slowing down…

9. What challenges have you had to face during your time at parcelLab and how did you overcome them?

It was a challenge beginning in a new market with low brand awareness. I think as a team we’ve pulled together to make tangible progress over the course of the last 12 months in this regard, and have come a long way! 

10. What makes London so attractive for you?

London’s a hugely exciting city! There is so much going on whatever interests you outside work. I love the diversity of the city, and there are so many events, gigs, exhibitions that you only have time to go to a fraction of them. 

11. How would you spend your perfect weekend?

As my colleagues know, I usually like to be found on two wheels (bicycles – I leave the motorbikes to Donny  ). I’m also an aspiring cook, so some combination of cycling and food usually goes down well.

12. What three words would your colleagues use to describe you?

Hopeless Plant Dad.

Would you also like to become part of the parcelLab team? Check out our careers page here.