Our guild is a casual guild that's made raiding progression. We have a good number of folks running around our server under our tag with reasonably shiny gear. And thus, we get a good number of unsolicited applications from people who don't know anyone in the guild. This has recently ranged anywhere from a couple to up to seven in any given week.
The original application was pretty general. And to be frank– people did not take a lot of time answering questions like "What do you know about our guild? What do you bring with you if you join the guild." So, in light of most of the recent applicants wanting to raid, we revised the application to include more relevant questions in that vein, designed to actually helps us get to know the applicants a little better.
So far, it's been a mixed bag. We had an applicant answer the question regarding what raid content they'd completed with "…" Because we do coddle our applicants, asking them to complete questions they skip, for instance, instead of just rejecting incomplete applications, I replied that I would like to see an answer to that question since they were applying for end game raiding. The applicant, after that and another question, puffed up his chest, telling us it's "not like this was a job interview or something."
But that's where you're wrong, dear applicants. It is in fact a lot like a job application, or a first date even. When you don't take the time to complete our application, you're like a guy showing up for a date without having run a brush through his hair, wrinkled shirt half-tucked in who then hits me up for change for the parking meter. As someone who doesn't know you already, you come across as unprepared, not especially interested in making a good first impression, and sloppy. I suspect you might stand in red circles on the ground or run into clouds or accidentally pull the boss 3-times while we are buffing.
When people do not know you, you are your application. We can't peer inside your brain to see how funny you are and what a great player you've been so far. Your application is you making cocktail party small talk with the guild. And if you're not interested enough in us to do that, why would we want to invite you in to stay a while?
Yes, I do understand that not everyone is a master conversationalist. But if you can type well enough to play the game — and to find a guild website — you should be able to give filling out an application a good 10 minutes of your time. Because as the annoying slogan goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Be sure to make the most of it.
Further Reading on the Guild Application Process in this Blog
I think it comes down to how much someone actually wants to be apart of a guild, versus finding people to give them free loot. In order to join my Aion guild (http://ksguild.org/index.php?page=join) I had to fill out a long application that required complete and well formed sentences. Once accepted as a recruit I had to post in several forums filling out more information, and finally to get an invite in game I had to whisper a specific officer with a “pass phrase” to prove I was who I said I was. Basically my point is, if someone really wants to join your guild they can and will jump through a few hoops to be able to do that. If they aren’t willing to put in the effort, I don’t want them in my guild.
If asking for a complete application the first time around is too much to ask, what hope does anything we’re putting thought into for the RC/RRC have?