Woman of the Week (W.O.W.), Week 4: Jinx Broussard

Editor’s note: This is the fourth and final post of the Woman of the Week series, created and written by the PRSSA at LSU diversity committee as a part of Women’s History Month in March. Congratulations to all of our inspiring women who were highlighted.

Dr. Jinx Broussard, photo from manship.lsu.edu.

As the public relations area head, Dr. Jinx Broussard is an influential force to be reckoned with. She leads the program with intelligence and integrity to ensure Manship students receive the best public relations education possible.

When the focus is not on her students, Broussard is wrapping up the final edits on her most recent book. African American Foreign Correspondents: A Historywill be published in June by LSU Press. Broussard also wrote a book on pioneering African-American women journalists, which was published in 2004, and she is considering autobiographical work for her next project.

Broussard attributes her success as a woman in academia to being dedicated, a workaholic and a perfectionist, though she doesn’t suggest the last one. She advises women who wish to rise through the ranks of their career to always work hard, perform productive and successful research and be of service to their university or company in any way possible.

“I tell young women that they have to make themselves necessary and go the extra mile if they want to be successful. They might not always be the best, but they should always, always do their best,” Broussard said.

Putting in this extra effort is the best way to make an impression and draw attention from those in positions of power.

Other than the hard work she has put toward her career, Broussard knows that one’s attitude can make great difference in their career. She stresses her outlook as one of the major reasons for her success.

“Another secret is that I love what I do, no matter what the job is or has been. I wake up every day happy because I don’t see myself as “going to work” or to a job; I wake up thinking about whose life will I touch today and how can I make a difference,” Broussard said.

The best advice Broussard has for her students is to clearly understand what it means to be professional, how to act that way and exactly what their career path entails, so they can “focus like a laser” on accomplishing each milestone that is a determinant of success.

For more from Dr. Broussard, follow her on Twitter: @JinxBroussard.