Some professionals have a conscious purpose-driven "professional identity" and others forge an identity over time and through various work experiences. This research draws on the narratives professionals at different life and career stages shared about their professional development. The findings highlight the importance attributed to resilience, among broader themes associated with building professional identity. Vignettes of the stories told by two of the participants are presented here to highlight ways in which resilience can be acquired, for example, by building networks and being adaptable. It is proposed that narrative analysis techniques could be used to build students' awareness and understanding of resilience when participating in work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences. In the same way that a resilience discourse emerged in the narratives of successful professionals, introducing the notion and language of work-related resilience to students may improve their chances of having successful, fulfilling and enduring careers. [Papers included in this "Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education" ("APJCE") Special Issue stem from selected manuscripts from the 2014 Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN) Conference Proceedings.]