Healing Lesson #24: Searching For a New Guild
May 15, 2009
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I hear some people have lots of problems finding a guild to join. So many people I know are having issues like this. Being a healer really does help as good healers are always in demand but...
I know where they're coming from. I had to find a guild that wanted to recruit me. A guild I was in stopped raiding, thus leaving me to find a new home.
Quickly after, someone found out I was looking for a new home and lied to me to recruit me. It lasted about 4 hours before I realized the average age and maturity of their of guild members, their abilities and knowledge were at a level I was not looking for and moved on.
This could of continued to happen for quite some time until I worked out the following.....
You must write down exactly what you want from a guild.
Here are some of the qualities I was after:
Mature Age 25+
Could bring my wife to raid - She's been playing longer than me
No Drama
Raided at times we could attend
Had a comfortable and friendly enviroment
Decently Progressed. I didn't want to go too far backwards
Organised and Fair
Used a transparent DKP System
Raided 3 to 4 days a week
The trick is to find the questions that are right for you.
After I wrote that list, I divided them into two lists of "Must Have" and "Would Like". I would pass on any guild that didn't have the things in the "Must Have", but if given two suitable guilds, I'd aim for the guild with more of the "Would Like".
After you've done the list of qualities you are after, research potential guilds for you. I sugest starting at a guild ranking site like www.wowprogress.com or www.wowjutsu.com.
Be real and look for a guild that can help with with what you are after. If you're looking for a guild to learn on how to raid heal, don't apply to a top end guild. Your target guild is a guild that's doing and having success in Naxx. If you have raided successfully in a lower ranked raiding guild and would like some more serious raiding, look at guilds ranked 10 to 20.
The closer to the top guild on your server, the more success, experience, knowledge and often gear you will need. Also, the more research you should do.
Check their web site. See if they are recruiting your class. Read for the tone of their messages and if that's a good fit for you. See what other information you can get from their web site to see if it's a guild you want to join.
Whisper a couple of their raiders and talk with them. Ask questions you want to know. If they don't know the answer, you should ask them who is the best person to talk to.
Once you find the guild you want to join, here is where the awkward work starts.
Hunt through their web site for applications and see what kind of applications they are accepting and what they are declining. What are the common threads in the apps that they accept, and vice versa.
Then you need to figure out if your skills is enough for them to accept you. If not, research like crazy, right now and cram. Yes, you should have done it earlier, but there's nothing you can do about your past. Do whatever you have to do fast to get up to scratch.
A good step here before putting in an application is to talk with the class leader or recruiter. While it seems like a dumb question to ask, I almost always ask, "So what would give me the best chance of getting accepted?". Every single time I've been told what is needed.
The next step is writing the application. While I'm not going to go into depth on the app itself, just remember to include as many of the things that got others accepted into the guild and everything that the Class Leader or Recruiter said what would give you the best chance of being accepted.
Don't skimp on your application. Treat it as you would a job application. You're going to spend almost as much time per week with your guild as you would a job so put in some effort.
Also remember, this is your opportunity to say what you will bring to the guild. What benefits the guild will get from recruiting you. It's never a good thing to list the things that a guild can do for you. (Eg. Want to see the end content, or want to get the best gear).
If you think all of this is too hard, just read out the following: If you always do what you always done, you'll always get what you've always got. If you have always got yourself into a crappy guild, then doing the same will get you another crappy guild. Break the cycle and do it right.
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