Man Scores After Panhandling For A Job

WESTMINSTER, Colo. (CBS4) - With the unemployment rate hovering around 8 percent, Coloradans are getting creative in ways they look for work.

CBS4 followed one man's 3-day job hunt that included extreme measures.

Jordan Staucet applied to jobs online, he made phone calls, but what got him actual job offers was standing on street corners and, as he says, bringing his resume to life.

It was rush hour early one morning and Staucet had his place on the street corner. Even though he held a sign like a panhandler, he was really handing out his resume. It took commuters by surprise, but the bigger surprise was how many commuters followed up with job offers. He got 60-plus phone calls and emails.

"They called I think because I was putting myself out there and a lot of companies like that, especially in the sales field," Staucet said.

Now at work there are no blaring horns of commuters. He is now surrounded by quiet, luxurious Mercedes automobiles. He is in a corporate training program to be a sales consultant.

Staucet's new boss works to put new cars out on the street, but he wasn't about to let Staucet stay on a street corner.

"He's creative, he's ambitious, and anybody who will stand on the street corner with suit and tie; and he's not asking for a handout or a donation, and says, 'Look, I need a job.' He definitely has the ability to interact with people, and so that's what our business is all about," Kevin Steward with Mercedes-Benz of Westminster said.

From flagging down cars to selling smart cars, Staucet is one smart salesman.

Staucet's message is, set yourself apart from other people looking for work and think outside the box.