How to apply to a guild
by Mike Schramm 
Mar 20th 2009 at 2:00PM
Our friend Lassirra (who has just recently started writing Scattered Shots for us here at WoW Insider) has a great post over on her personal blog telling Hunters how to apply for a guild, but really, most of her advice would work for anyone trying to move on up to a better guild situation. I've long said that one of the key indicators of a guild worth getting into is that they require you to apply, so following these tips when actually filling out that application will very much help you find your spot in the game, whether it's raiding at the highest levels, teaming up with other PvP afficionados, or just getting yourself in the right casual circles.The first few suggestions are just about following the rules: answer all of the questions, don't be weird, and don't put anything on the app (like major drama in your history or major spelling errors or offensive language) that would let the guild's officers give you a definite "no" right away. Second, know your character and your class. As Lassirra's twitter people say, the standards for most guilds' recruitment (even great guilds) are pretty low. As long as you're easy-going and you know how to play your class and have an interest in bettering your character, you're going to be pretty much instantly accepted into 90% of guilds out there. You don't have to throw together a big Flash presentation (though it might help).
And finally, don't worry about rejection. This may all sound like applying for a job, but it's not nearly that serious -- if one guild decides to pass on your app, go find another one you like and apply there. The extra time will be worth it: if all you've done in terms of being in a guild so far is join up with someone shouting in the Trade chat, you owe it to yourself to, as Lassirra says, put the time in to find a guild that's right for you.
Filed under: Tips, How-tos, Fan stuff, Guilds, Odds and ends
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Brad Mar 20th 2009 2:08PM
Epic fail, no purplez for you.
b3phoenix Mar 20th 2009 2:09PM
I'm on Moon Guard, an RP server, and yeah to be honest our guild's application process is a little more extensive.
We have our own website & online forums, so we like to get to know our members both In Character and out of character, the real them! So we include questions about both in our application.
Rejections do happen, general immaturity or if it's obviously an alt they'll rarely play.
Major word of advice: Don't bug officers/members repeatedly for an interview, they've got other people and things to do in game too.
And especially on an RP realm, show that you can handle following ALL the server rules. Don't be a jerk in trade and start playing the "anal" game and expect no one from the guild you're applying to is going to notice!
Flamespawn Mar 20th 2009 2:16PM
Don't forget that your application to any guild is more often then not the guilds first impression of you as a person. I always spend at least half an hour/45 minutes on any guild application as any sloppiness on your part will make you out to be a lazy person in general.
Too many times have i seen people get rejected purely on the basis that the application is poorly written, not layed out as asked by the guild itself, or a copy and paste of the same application from another guild you are currently applying to aswell...
If you are looking for a new guild then then apply to one at a time and make sure that you put the up-most effort into making your application stand out from the rest. The same as you would with a job application.
Rich Mar 20th 2009 2:19PM
I prefer the pug and let people see you perform type of guild application.
I recently transferred servers and have been running a lot of heroics in pugs. I've gotten 3 direct guild invites and 2 more tells from GM's/recruitment officers when their guildies told them about me. (One offer was a scrub guild, 2 others were from guilds in the top 5 of progression on the server and the other 2 were from some good guilds that aren't striving to be the best of the server, just the best they can be.)
I've been in 3 guilds in my WoW career. Never once have I filled out an application first. Usually, I get approached and then fill out the application as a technicality.
thebvp Mar 20th 2009 2:20PM
Another good one: When there's an application, fill it out completely.
Don't just post your name and say you're interested. Take the time and do what they say. Not doing so is not just lazy and disrespectful, it also shows you are unable to follow directions. How can they be sure you'll follow directions in a raid if you can't even fill out an application properly?
Lowangel Mar 20th 2009 2:20PM
Ya I have to agree seems a bit much, personal interview, testing them in runs that where you really understand their skill and more importantly personality.
jay Mar 20th 2009 2:24PM
Is this some kind of a joke?
WoW is fun and all, but who has time for all this? No wonder kids are going crazy.
Carolyn Mar 20th 2009 2:31PM
Well hopefully applying for a guild is something you don't have to do often. Also, the time spent actually writing your app will be made up for and then MUCH MORE once you're in a guild that doesn't screw around and waste your time by failing during raiding. Guilds that don't require applications, especially "raiding" guilds, usually end up crappy because they literally have no standards.
Rob Mar 20th 2009 2:58PM
I thought the same way once. Who would apply to a guild like a job app? Then i realized that it's to weed out the 90% of the population who are not people i want to play with. It's pretty much that simple, and that rule goes for raiding guilds as well as social guilds. If you are too lazy to fill out an app we probably dont want you in our guild.
Aaron A. Mar 20th 2009 3:42PM
Guild applications aren't nearly as imposing as they sound. If a guild isn't gunning for Realm Firsts, a long detailed application is usually a sign of control freaks at the top. On the other hand, consider this application (not quite verbatim, but similar in length and content) for a semi-casual raid progression guild on my realm:
1. Name
2. Class
3. Spec
4. Would you be willing to respec to benefit the guild (Y/N)?
5. Do you know anybody in [guild name]?
6. We typically send raid invites at [time] and start pulling [30 minutes later]. Does that fit your schedule (Y/N)?
7. Are you able/willing to use Ventrilo to communicate during raids (Y/N)?
8. Is there anything else you'd like us to know about you?
That's not terribly intrusive: 1, 2, 3, and 5 are basically just a means of identifying you; 4, 6, and 7 help to assess whether you're a team player, and the last question provides open space to make your case however you'd like.
Of course, harder-core guilds, the kind who require x% attendance and reserve the right to dictate your role, spec, and professions, will expect more in-depth info. Those guilds demand greater commitment, and as such they provide greater rewards in the form of faster progression and phatter loot.
Tinwhisker Mar 20th 2009 2:28PM
And remember, guilds do not exist in a vacuum. There's a good chance that if you make an ass of yourself with one guild, the officers of other guilds know about it.
Your reputation follows you around.
Also, don't lie on your app. Even before the event of the Armory, it was easy to tell who was making things up. There are plenty of questions on apps that guilds don't need you to answer, but they ask you to anyway to see _how_ you answer.
Muse Mar 20th 2009 2:29PM
Our guild has a question on our application sheet asking for "Names of current guild members you know (if any)."
For some strange reason, people have been listing names of guild members in their own guild, rather than ones in ours. And not just one or two confused people; several applicants.
jrizutko Mar 20th 2009 2:35PM
You should just change the question to "list the names of any people in Awesome Guild X that you know." Pronouns aren't that helpful when you're trying to get good answers.
Krotukk Mar 20th 2009 2:45PM
You should probably insert your guild name there. It isn't the most clear form of the question.
"Names of current members you know (if any)" would straighten that out. Yeah, you'd think it's a simple question, but you'd be amazed how many good players are more simple-minded than they appear.
Balius Mar 20th 2009 3:45PM
The way the question is worded, it favors applicants referring you to the guild they're leaving. There are a number of reasons a guild might care about members the applicant knows in a guild he's leaving (maybe your guild is poaching from others and wants a mailing list, maybe you just want to see what people he's raided with think), so I wouldn't say it has anything to do with stupidity and everything to do with poorly worded questions and a desire of the applicant to provide what's asked for, no matter how esoteric.
Jon Do Mar 20th 2009 2:36PM
It's all about who you know.
MadMac10 Mar 20th 2009 2:38PM
Seconded what Jay said! Is the guild gonna pay me a salary? Oh, wait, I'm the one playing hard-earned scratch to have fun, and groveling to a gaggle of elitist jerks is definitely not fun. Please explain how on earth it should be worth anyone's while to pay monthly to kiss someone's ass.
Cannot get the Tier 8 gear without the blessing of a recognized guild? Something is definitely wrong with the game then, and Blizzard should look into it.
Jon Mar 20th 2009 3:05PM
Why do I get the impression that you suck at raiding?
Idain Mar 20th 2009 3:07PM
No one is asking you to grovel and kiss ass Madmac (nomen est omen btw), it's a guilds good right to want to get some info from the people that want to join. It's their guild not yours. You can get T8 no problem when pugs will become commonplace (You could pug T6 raids at my server all the time pre 3.0 so T8 should be no problem). As an officer in a raiding guild i do have a say on who gets to join and i can tell you: i don't expect ppl to kiss my ass, in fact i rather have it they don't. All i want to see in an application is some dedication to raiding and their character is that so hard to ask? Think before you casualrage next time please.
MadMac10 Mar 20th 2009 3:27PM
Oh, I get it! Thank goodness for this then--so the only guilds with raiders who suck are those without an application process!
So I might suck at raiding... but this isn't sour grapes. An application is the opening of a compact. Right now, it is one-sided in favor of guilds and not players. Perhaps we are all getting used to corporatocracy and so we don't mind the strip-search. Perhaps some find fulfillment in sublimating their individuality. Perhaps our labor movement has truly fizzled out.
Me? I want a guarantee-- a contract-- in exchange for my application. I want a measurable increase in DPS, a promise to see (and survive) endgame content within a determined period of time, umm, what else...
I'm tellin' ya folks, before you start jumping through these hoops like a circus dog for the perverse pleasure of others, ask yourself: what is in it for you?