Ross Wilson failed the first Foreign Service Officer Test he took.
The former U.S. ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan said he froze when his test interviewer asked him to list five American movies he would recommend to an African official.
“I blanked — I hadn’t seen a movie in theaters for years,” Wilson said, laughing. “I think I said ‘Casablanca.’”
Wilson spoke to students about his career in the U.S. foreign service and international affairs Thursday afternoon in the Marston Science Library. About 20 people attended the discussion hosted by UF’s Center for European Studies.
Wilson worked as the ambassador to Azerbaijan from 2000 to 2003 and served as the ambassador to Turkey from 2005 to 2008.
Wilson, who now lectures part-time at George Washington University, said foreign service officers must know a variety of issues, including popular culture and modern American society.
“After I failed that exam, I read the arts section of The New York Times every day until I retook the test,” Wilson said.
Foreign service officers must also possess social skills, he said. Officers have to collaborate with international leaders almost every day.
“The core of the foreign service work, at the end of the day, is about relationship building and persuasion,” Wilson said.
Wilson said he joined the foreign service to develop foreign policy, not analyze it.
Kokila Mendis, the outreach coordinator for the center, said they brought Wilson because many UF students are interest in the foreign service.
“It’s a lofty goal, so it’s great for students to hear from someone who was successful in the field,” she said.
John Steinmeyer, a UF political science and history junior, said he wants to pursue a career in the foreign service.
“It’s always exciting to hear about the foreign service, especially when it comes from someone with first-hand experience,” the 21-year-old said. “Mr. Wilson is incredibly knowledgeable.”
Ross Wilson, a former U.S. ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan, answers students’ questions during a Q&A session in Marston Science Library on Thursday. “I wanted to do foreign policy,” he said. “That is what I wanted to do as a career.”
