Last May, when the University of Illinois graduate was looking for an engineering job, a recruiting firm persuaded him to make a video resume. Shot at a professional studio, it featured Tee, 28, answering five short questions about why he'd make a good employee. Asked why he wanted a career in structural engineering, for example, he answered that he is a ''natural problem solver.'' The service then e-mailed prospective employers a link to the video. He ended up getting four job offers and accepting one of them, he says.

Though the practice is still in its early stages, young job hunters are starting to make a video clip part of their job application, sometimes even posting them on sites such as Google Inc.'s YouTube and Google Video. Jobster.com, a Web site for job seekers, is exploring the possibility of enabling users to add short video clips to online member profiles. At the same time, smaller companies hoping to ride the popularity of online video are rolling out services that make it easier to create a video resume.

So far, the video resumes featured on YouTube have been posted mostly by people in entertainment or media. But job seekers in different industries are starting to make videos through professional services, and recruiters say that as online video takes off, the trend is poised to grow - especially among younger workers.

''It's almost like the pageant world meeting the business world,'' says Sarah White, president and owner of White Consulting Group, a Kenosha, Wis., consulting firm that works with small and midsized businesses. Job candidates who submit video clips usually use them to supplement a standard resume. The videos, which are typically no more than a few minutes long, give applicants a more direct way to sell themselves.

They also help employers decide whom to bring into the office for an interview, White says, which could save time and money.

Holding many job seekers back, though, is the fear of making fools of themselves - or worse, sabotaging a career.

The possibility of a pratfall isn't holding back James Wieland, a 34-year-old weatherman who began his job search a few months ago by posting a two-minute video resume on YouTube. He says he's had a few callbacks from news directors who want to see his full videotape, but no job offers.

''Any kind of publicity is good publicity, especially when you need a job,'' says Wieland, who lives in Baltimore.