Guild Applicating 101
I am always wary of guilds that take players with no application process. I mean, sure, if you throw enough crap at a wall, some of it might stick…but then you still have a giant pile of floor crap on your hands.
Whatever, I’m tired. It made sense in my head.
Your method of guild application is up to you. I personally interview all applicants via whispers. I find that easiest, as I’m a WIM devotee and it means I can interview while farming, doing heroics, running a raid, whatever.
But if you want in, here is what you have to do:
1) Answer my questions honestly.
I’m not trying to be the Spanish Inquisition (everyone expects such of me anyways) but if you say, “I want to raid six nights a week and world first kill Arthas,” then I know you are not for me and we are both going to be happier. I can point you to a friend of mine in the nearest raiding guild with my blessing and you don’t have to suffer through my guild crying that you can’t sit on the summon-able mailbox during a raid.
2) Know what I’m about.
There are probably 300 guilds on my ridiculously small server. Why do you want to come with us? It can be simple. You could have pugged with us. You could have just liked my forums post. You can think the name is hilarious. Any answer to this is generally fine with me, because having any answer shows me that you’re thinking.
3) Being combative during the application process is a ticket to a pass.
I haven’t even put you on probation yet and you’re trying to fight with me? This is even worse if it’s a website application, because now you haven’t even spoken with me and you’re picking a fight. If you don’t agree with a guild philosophy…why do you want to join anyway?
4) Be prepared to answer questions about your last guild/s.
Know that I’m probably going to contact your GM. I have never found a GM who was bitter enough to sabotage someone who just left because it was a bad fit, but if you blew up the drama bomb and then robbed the guild bank, I will find out.
5) Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
I am happy to answer them and I don’t think it makes anyone sound like a pain. Don’t you want to know how we do loot? Do we penalize new recruits? What’s our average age? What times we are active? Better to find out now than later, no?
This goes for everyone, probably every guild with an application process. Ask questions! Be prepared! Put your best foot forward!
Oh heck, you could call this a guide for life in general.
Loading ...
October 16th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
One important corollary to #3: "Don't be Combative" does not mean "Be meek and don't defend your decisions"!
If I ask an applicant "Why did you choose talent X over talent Y, and why don't you have enchant Z" the correct answer should not be "Oops! I'll fix that right away!" The answer should be, y'know, WHY YOU MADE THE CHOICES THAT YOU DID. If you didn't have a reason for making those choices, well, you probably aren't putting enough thought into your decisions to be worth my time as an applicant /anyway/.
December 8th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
I actually prefer the online, forums applicatoni in our guild (Black Axe Clan – on Thunderlord – http://www.blackaxeclan.com). When somebody applies, I can ask all the officers to look at it. Every once in a while I hear, "Oh no! Not THAT guy – he was a jerk in a PuG VoA" . Our process is kind of a black-ball process, if any of the officers have a strong feeling against an applicant, we pass. It doesn't happen often, but I would rather skip that problem in forums than after I have interviewd and sent the person a guildinvite.
January 2nd, 2010 at 4:31 am
Hey great blog.
I'll second that an app should ask questions, many of them! And you might notice that the better the applicant, the more the interview becomes a two-way street — it becomes not about what the app can offer the guild but what the guild and app can offer each other.
Like any gamer at the top of their game, I'm very selective of my guild. I've xfer'd 5 servers and changed more guilds than that, trying to find the right fit — it can be a huge pain. I would never join a guild without a good vent discussion with the GM and the officers.
But even then things are not as they seem, and like any self respecting gamer I'm not going to stick with a guild that does not mesh with my goals and objectives. But that's why it's so important to ask questions and understand as best you can about the guild and how well you will work together.
January 2nd, 2010 at 4:35 am
I should add that did finally find a good fit. So all the hard work paid off! :D