For EAS students who want to take a career path outside of an academic setting, the possible avenues for a professional scientist are quite varied. I will discuss my professional journey from EAS graduate student to Principal consultant at a national firm, highlighting key decisions, opportunities, and lessons learned. We will cover what a professional environmental consulting practice looks like as we walk through a mock site assessment and look at real-world examples of the types of environmental challenges my clients face. We will discuss brownfields, contaminated site assessment, groundwater systems, emerging contaminants, environmental risk, data interpretation, and remedial strategies, as well as adjacent topics like environmental regulations, business development, project management, and the realities of consulting practice.