Fast and important structural changes in the organization of services make it harder for social workers to develop a strong sense of professional identity (PI), even though this aspect is central for ethical practice. Knowing that initial training contributes significantly to the development of PI, a qualitative methodology was used to explore the PI of students finishing their initial social work education. Through interviews, the students’ conceptualisation of PI – definition, elements facilitating its development, general state – was studied. Discussing this conceptualization, recommendations on how to facilitate the development of a stronger PI amongst students are proposed.