This interim account of a study of professionals' responses to change begins with a brief review of some of the pressures behind the introduction of systematic schemes for continuing professional development (CPD). On the basis of 69 in-depth interviews with practitioners in six professions, a number of characteristic approaches to coping with unfamiliar demands are identified and discussed. In the light of the actual strategies adopted, the pros and cons of formal CPD are then examined. The paper concludes with a discussion of the possible role of higher education institutions in supporting professional learning.