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The tradition of a mentoring relationship is embedded in a personal/business relationship between a wise teacher and someone who needs to learn a trade. Learning sessions have occurred over the years in many types of settings, including one-on-one mentoring, conferences, meetings, telephone, and fax. As society looks to technology as a vital resource in everyday life, virtual mentoring has emerged. Traditional mentoring is face-to-face communication and synchronous; time and location of mentoring can be an issue; it is all personal touch and communication, can be expensive, and is not recorded so it can be confidential. Virtual mentoring is communication via computer and asynchronous; time and location are not issues; there is no personal touch or communication, can be inexpensive, and is recorded so it cannot be confidential. Well-established virtual mentoring programs for adults can offer a starting point for individuals and organizations seeking virtual mentoring opportunities and information. Examples are HighTech Women; Ask the Employer.com; Nursing Net; Intel Corporation; Piver and Associates Civil Engineering Firm; CanadaInfoNet; Mentors in American Philanthropy; MentorNet; General Electric; Smart Mentoring Group; MIT; C.E.O. Mentor; Lincoln Financial Group; The Virtual Volunteering Project; and WEPAN. (Contains 33 references) (YLB)

The question of whether the online job market reflects the trends predicted for the job market was examined in a study of a random sample of 690 Internet job postings over a 6-month period. Each listing was categorized by type of position, desired qualifications, salary, and job specifications. Of the human resources (HR) jobs posted, 7.2% were for generalists. The remaining postings were for jobs related to the following areas: recruitment/staffing; HR management; compensation and benefits; employee assistance program consulting; HR administration; and other specific aspects HR. Nearly half (47.3%) of the postings preferred applicants with 4 years of higher education; 33% did not specify an education requirement. Most (92.4%) employers did not require certification. Work experience requirements and salaries varied widely. The study findings contradicted many expectations formed after a literature review. Far fewer generalist positions were found than expected. Another unexpected finding was that salary did not appear to increase as the responsibility and strategic role of the specific HR function increased. The number of listings requiring advanced degrees was far lower than expected, and the predicted trend for more required certifications was not substantiated. Postings for certain types of entry-level jobs predominated among the online job listings. Several areas requiring further study were identified. (MN)