The current research aims at developing understanding of Estonian early career university teachers` concepts of teaching and professional identity by using university teachers´ stories as a one possible research instrument. Our research is based on the assumption that narratives have given good results for investigating professional identity and related underlying concepts. The presentation is based on qualitative research of 25 early career university teachers who specialize in various scientific fields in higher education. On the basis of the analysis we found that narratives helped the interviewees to view and reflect upon their experience and professional development and therefore formulate their teaching concepts. University teachers construct their life as a whole while retelling their stories and point out the links between their prior life and being an academic. Preliminary findings of our research reveal that new lecturers experience teaching and their professional identity as academics differently depending on prior learning and working experience, context, opportunities for pedagogical training and informal relations.