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Shake On It Worried about contracting swine flu but still looking for a job? Don't abandon the business handshake just yet 
Concerns surrounding the H1N1 outbreak have led some people to avoid touching acquaintances at all costs. For many, friendly handshakes have even been supplanted by fist bumps and smiles. But in a world where the unemployment rate is also a top concern, one expert says that for job seekers, handshakes are still be a necessity - even as the swine flu rates continue to rise. "The handshake is such an important part of the business culture that a job candidate is really taking a chance by not doing it," says Greg Stewart, management and organizations professor and handshake expert, Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa. "Our research has shown that it's one of the most important indicators of a person's interpersonal dimensions, so not shaking hands might reflect badly." In past research, Stewart has found that the test job candidates who were deemed more hirable by job interviewers were also given higher scores on their handshakes, which had been taught to them by trained professionals. "We found that the first impression begins with a handshake that sets the tone for the rest of the interview," Stewart says. Setting the proper tone is so important that forgoing it is not worth the potential health risks unless you are in a high-risk category for contracting the virus. "It really does put the person being interviewed in an awkward position if they're worried about catching the flu, but there's really not a good way to get around it," he says. He recommends washing your hands before and after the interview, and avoid touching your mouth after the handshake - something a potential job candidate should do anyway. If H1N1 spreads, Stewart says employers will become more lax about the handshake, but for now play it safe. "Or carry some hand sanitizer and use it as soon as they leave the interview," he says.
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