How to be a Good Recruit – Part 1

So one day you realize that you need a new guild.  Maybe your old guild imploded due to internal drama.  Maybe you aren’t getting to raid as much as you’d hoped you would.  Maybe you were kicked from your old guild or are fleeing a bad reputation on another server and are looking for a fresh start.  Whatever the reason, you are in the market for a new home.  You’re watching the Trade channel for recruiting ads and searching your Realm Forum for recruiting posts.  Maybe you’ve found a few guilds you’d like to apply to.  But how do you get them to accept you?  Once you are accepted, how do you make them like you and want to keep you around?

Well, wonder no longer!  As the recruiting officer of my own guild, I have seen my fair share of applications.  I’ve accepted recruits that have turned into amazing members of our community, as well as a few that just didn’t work out.  Now I am here to share what I believe are the things that make a good recruit.  So sit back and let me teach you how to be that perfect person your new guild is looking for!

How to be a Good Recruit – Part 1: Things to do Before Applying to a Guild.

First of all, there are some things that you can do before you even start applying to guilds.  These are things that will help you figure out what you are looking for and get you ready to make a good first impression.  This isn’t a questionnaire, so you don’t have to answer everything I list here point for point.  These are just some ideas you should think about.

1. Figure out what you are looking for in a guild.

You probably know why you weren’t happy in your old guild, so this is where you decide what kind of guild would make you happy.

Are you looking for a raid slot?  Do you want to PvP?  Do you want guildies to run random heroics or do dailies with?  Do you want a high level guild so you can bring over all your alts and level them up?  Do you want a large guild or a small guild?  Do you want serious raid progression or a more casual atmosphere?  Do you require a family friendly guild that understands that your parental responsibilities?  What are your goals for the game?

2. Think about what guild policies you would like to see in place.

Think about what worked and what didn’t work in previous guilds and then you’ll have an idea of what to look for in your new guild.

What kind of loot system do you prefer?  What are your thoughts on guild bank access and guild repairs?  Do you want strict or lax attendance policies?

3. Evaluate your personal situation.

These are the sorts of things about yourself that will not only help you decide if a guild is right for you, but which would also be beneficial for you to tell your new guild officers about.  If you need to run heroics for gear but tend to be too shy to ask for help, the officers can make a point of inviting you along – as long as the officers know your personal situation.

How often do you play WoW?  What days of the week would you be available for guild activities?  Do you have real life responsibilities that may impact your schedule?   How much experience do you have in the activities you want to be a part of?  How much effort are you willing to put into those activities?  Do you need help gearing up before you can fully contribute?  Are you naturally extroverted, or do you tend to stay quiet until you get to know people?  What are your strengths and weaknesses as a player?

4. What are your “Deal Breakers”?

This can be some pretty arbitrary stuff.  Personally, I could never be a member of a guild with a misspelled guild tag.  I would just be too embarrassed to be seen wearing it.  (I mean seriously – you couldn’t be bothered to look up the spelling of your guild name?!)  I would also never join a guild if one or more of the members was a known Trade channel troll.  Maybe in your case you can’t stand using a DKP loot system, or you absolutely will not tolerate swearing on guild line.  If you know in advance what would break the deal for you, you can try to avoid applying to such guilds in the first place.

5. Pretty up your gear and spec.

Most guilds are going to look you up on the Armory or one of the player ranking sites.  They are hoping to find someone who takes pride in their gear and knows what stats provide the most benefit to their class.  I’m going to tell you now that, as a recruiter, seeing a potential recruit with no gems or enchants is a big red flag.  Therefore, it is very important to get the best gear you can and then make sure it is properly gemmed and enchanted.  No, you don’t need the most expensive gems or enchants, especially if your gear is green or blue quality.  The cheaper ones are often acceptable.  While you’re at it, make sure that your meta gem is activated – it’s easy to accidentally lose the requirements when you get new gear.

Also, do some research into your spec and make sure you have a good build for your class and desired role.  If you diverge from the “cookie cutter” build, make sure you can explain why you’ve taken those talents.

6. Log out in your pretty gear and spec.

Ok, this is really more important once you’ve started applying, but I’m going to mention it here.  If you put together a beautiful set of raid gear, then log off naked while dancing on the mailbox, guess what people are going to see on the Armory?  That’s right, they’ll see your naked ass waving in the wind.  Likewise, if you are applying as a Prot Paladin but log off in your crappy set of Ret gear, we’ll see your ugly greens instead of your pretty purples.  (Hopefully you will at least have logged out in your Ret spec as well… because then we can assume that it was probably just your crappy off-spec gear.  Woe betide you if you logged off in Prot spec so it looks like your crappy Ret gear is what you think tanking gear should look like.)

Those are all the tips I have for you today.  Tune in next time for Part 2 and some tips on filling out guild applications. Finally, Part 3 will help you impress the socks off your new guildies during your trial period.