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.

The proposal the commission is hearing on Monday from Xcel Energy would increase monthly bills for most residential customers by about $4 a month. The average bill for commercial customers would go up about $5.30.

The commission says more than half of the proposed increase is due to the loss of the Black Hills Electric wholesale contract, which expired at the end of 2011. The company also blames increases in property taxes.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The airline has been flying two round-trips on 74-seat airplanes during the ski season and one in the off-season. The airline says they want to sell the Bombardier Q400 planes they use on the route.

Anyone who booked a flight after April 15 between Aspen and Denver will be switched to a United Airlines flight.

Digital First Media announced Moss’ appointment on Friday. He will also serve as a Digital First Media executive vice-president overseeing MediaNews Group’s operations in Colorado, Texas and New Mexico.

The company said Moss led a turnaround at the Union-Tribune that doubled profit and digital revenue over two years.

Digital First Media was formed last year to manage both MediaNews and The Journal Register Co.

Digital First CEO John Paton and MediaNews chairman Dean Singleton said Moss understands how to transform newspaper operations in the digital age.

Moss also previously worked as president and CEO of MediaNews’ Los Angeles newspaper group.

He replaces Jerry Grilly, who is retiring, and will start Feb. 20.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The Republican-controlled chamber approved the proposal Thursday on a voice vote, with Democratic opposition.

Colorado residents already have legal protections for using deadly force against intruders under a law known as “Make My Day.” The bill expanding protections is dubbed “Make My Day Better.”

Several other attempts to pass the bill have failed. It’s expected to pass the House this year but will likely fail in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Supporters of the bill say business owners and employees should be protected from costly prosecutions if they defend themselves. But opponents say the legislation would give businesses too much power.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

CBS4′s news partners the Denver Business Journal covered the story.

The owner of Dunkin’ Donuts announced in September it wanted to open franchises in Colorado.

There are apparently still franchise opportunities available.

Read more on the website of CBS4 partner the Denver Business Journal.

Lawmakers – and film buffs – are taking another crack at boosting Colorado’s incentives for film production companies, saying the state is missing out on helping its local economies because it lags behind other states in giving more lucrative deals to the movie industry.

“We need to continue that incentivizing to make sure they stay here,” Democratic Rep. Nancy Todd said Wednesday during a House resolution for “Colorado Cinema Day.”

“I’m here to say, ‘Don’t go to Kansas,’” Todd said.

A proposal released Wednesday would increase a tax rebate the state gives production companies from 10 percent to 20 percent, a figure that would be comparable to other states, but not nearly as high as others. Kansas for example, offers at 30 percent rebate for film production companies and Louisiana and Oklahoma go up to 35 percent and 37 percent respectively.

The refund is given to filmmakers to help offset costs for in-state expenditures.

“People are ready to go back to Colorado, promote film, promote tourism, promote our great state and actually foster creative environment in Colorado,” said Rep. Tom Massy, D-Pueblo.

Colorado has a rich history of film that includes the original “True Grit” movie with John Wayne, filmed in Ouray and Ridgeway. The “Perry Mason” television series was filmed in Denver, and the famous scene from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” where Paul Newman and Robert Redford jump off the edge of a canyon and into a river was shot in Durango.

But film production companies have been going to other states because they offer better incentives. The remake of “True Grit” with Jeff Bridges was shot in New Mexico, which has a rebate of 25 percent. Most states have some type of tax incentive for films.

From 1897 to 1997, more than 350 movies were shot at least partially in Colorado, but that number has dwindled to about a couple of dozen in the last 15 years.

A bill last year to boost the state’s incentive fund with an optional 10-cent fee on tickets failed. This year, Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper is advocating for better film incentives. In addition to increasing the state’s rebate, the proposal allows the state to be a guarantor for loans for film production. The state would charge an upfront facility fee, which producers would pay, in exchange for the guarantee. A bank would provide the loan.

Democratic Sen. Linda Newell, one of the sponsors of the proposal, said the idea of increasing the state’s film incentives is gaining momentum.

“I think it’s because we’re getting screamed at by the film production industry,” she said.

Newell said the tourism industry is also taking note.

“The other piece of it is now the tourism is coming and saying, ‘Look, we are losing jobs because every time a film production company comes here and you have a film production, they spend an average of $10 million dollars in the state while they’re here,’” she said. “And that includes those mom-and-pop shops, it includes restaurants, the bed and breakfasts, the ski resorts.”

- By Ivan Moreno, AP Writer

Associated Press writer Kristen Wyatt contributed.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Bent Erik Carlsen said in a live television interview that investors wanted change, forcing him and Deputy Chairman Torsten Erik Rasmussen to decline a re-election bid at next month’s shareholder meeting.

The pair have been criticized for poor financials and a loss of market share to Chinese competitors. Last month, the company announced it would lay off 2,335 people.

CFO Henrik Noerremark resigned Tuesday after the company twice slashed its 2012 forecasts. In a statement, the company said another board member, Freddy Frandsen, would also forego re-election, though no reason was given for his departure.

Vestas said that its 2011 results were “substantially lower than original expectations,” causing its shares to drop more than 13 percent to 58 kroner ($10.27) in Copenhagen.

Revenue was $7.63 billion, which Vestas said was $1.97 billion lower than the original forecast and 16 percent lower than in 2010.

Sluggish sales have already forced the company to slash its 2012 forecasts twice. It has also abandoned its targets for 2015 sales of $19.1 million and profit margin of 15 percent.

In January, the Danish turbine maker announced it would lay off 2,335 people worldwide and that 1,600 U.S. jobs would be at risk if Congress failed to extend tax breaks for renewable energy.

The company has invested more than $1 billion in four facilities in Colorado. Its U.S. operations are headquartered in Portland, Oregon.

Vestas has also faced tough competition from China and fallout from a global recession that slowed investments in wind power.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Dunkin’ Donuts on Wednesday announced an agreement with a newly formed subsidiary of Sizzling Platter LLC to open the locations in Denver and eight in El Paso, Texas. The subsidiary, Sizzling Donuts LLC, also purchased two existing Dunkin’ Donuts locations in El Paso.

Read more on the website of CBS4 partner the Denver Business Journal.

CBS4′s Kathy Walsh took a look at the hiring process from both a job seeker and a recruiter and found some ideas on how someone can stand out.

It’s a dilemma for every person on a job hunt — how do you get your resume on the top of the pile? There is no easy answer, but there are some things a person looking for a job can do to get the best shot at being singled out.

Dave Alleman has been hard at work looking for a job. He was director of marketing for a community bank but was laid off 6 months ago when the bank failed. He’s been searching ever since.

“It’s been a slower process, I think, than it used to be,” Alleman said.

He spends at least 2 hours every morning scrolling through job postings and spends even more time networking. He’s had six interviews, but no offers.

“I think 8 years ago if you were maybe one in 50 resumes on somebody’s desk you got a look,” Alleman said. “But today you’re trying to get your name out of probably one in 500.”

“Times are different, that’s very true,” said Melissa Duncan, a recruiter for DaVita, one of the largest kidney care companies in the U.S.

Duncan says network for success and use social media.

“Get your name out there,” she said.

She says to focus — carefully craft a resume and cover letter to fit the job — even using words from the job description.

“Do your homework, do your research, find a place that you want to be,” Duncan said.

Alleman tries not to get discouraged, but he’s been feeling a little down.

“So I went out and shoveled the walk and here I am 2 hours later with this great opportunity, so you have to be flexible, you have to be positive,” he said.

These days technology may actually determine whether a resume even gets a look. Computerized applicant tracking systems screen resumes looking for key words and phrases. That’s why job seekers should pay close attention to the job posting and use that exact wording in the application.

Wednesday night recruiters will be in downtown Denver to share their expertise about the hiring process. To learn more about the networking event and job fair, visit the Red Hot & Hired website.