Business continuity, while no longer in it's infancy, has certainly not attained a level of full maturity. Most practitioners have journeyed from a myriad of jobs and educations to arrive in their current position. No one went to college and majored in contingency planning or emergency management. This presentation will focus on the issues and dynamics that will be faced as contingency planning evolves from a “field” or “industry'” to a “profession.” Included will be a discussion of the need for advanced formal education, licensing and certification, standards and regulations, the current myopic views from and language barriers between specialty areas (such as BCP, DM/DR, Emergency Mgt, Risk management, security, and COOP), as well as developing an inter- and intra-organizational identity. Attendees will come away from this session with a “big picture” sense of the profession, what they need to do to remain viable in the field, and a better appreciation of the scope and range of their occupation.