How do you get into a pro raiding guild?

[Shoob]

I have an epic purple shirt.
I get invites to every guild.
Because I have an epic purple shirt.
Yeeeeeeeeah.

[Littlenino]

Well I got invited to my guild (9/12 H:ICC25, #1 Alliance Guild on server, #2 Overall) ~3 1/2 years ago because my brother was and still is a high ranking officer in the guild. I am now one of the top raiders in the guild's main ICC25 group

[Shoob]

Dougal just owned everyone in this thread, like x 9001.

[Lumocolor]

Dougal just owned everyone in this thread, like x 9001.

I'm so glad i got in my guild at 34 which was 3yrs ago, i didnt know how close i was to being over the age cap!!!...lol

[Nev12]

The most important thing is the application, get some WoL reports there, make it LONG, don't slack on this, I saw tons of people getting declined just because of a shit application.
Also, try to socialize a bit with the guild members from the guild you want to join.

If you get a trial spot in a "pro" guild, do EVERYTHING they're asking for, bring flask pots(pre pot would be helpfull here) your own food, don't dc, don't do stupid shit and don't ask about stupid shit, and also do NOT die on any encounter, you can always explain sucky dps, but if you fail to simple boss mechanics then it's usually over.

KeK.

[Mr_Bojangles]

I have to pretty much agree with Gammer. My guild is only 11/12 hm icc, and we never had our how to videos on the front of mmo champ, so we probably don't get as many apps as qt's, but we do make it pretty personal. Anyone who doesn't make a red flag in the application gets a vent interview. Anyone who doesn't get a red flag on vent gets to see farm content. We aren't as strict as what Gammer outlined tho (we can be more personal because I can imagine qt's getting at least 10 apps a day, with plenty cross server) We've taken people with no hm experience before if they explain WHY they haven't been able to get hard mode experience. Make sure you explain very clearly the reason your guild has not been able to progress. If there is no room on the application to explain your situation, make one.

Also, format it. Make it readable. Bold the questions, maybe make them a different color. Make it so at a glance they can see where the question ends and your answer begins. You don't want the person reading your app to have to do any work.

[MrPistachio]

I have an epic purple shirt.
I get invites to every guild.
Because I have an epic purple shirt.
Yeeeeeeeeah.

It looks like getting raiding guilds...
...are as easy as getting epics...

YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAH!

[Deleted]

For starters, don't slack even in your short runs so you can get some good DPS logs. If your guild isn't keeping parses, just get a WoL account and make some parses yourself of you doing good (very good - well over 10k, preferably more like 12k in ICC with the huge-ass buff) on pretty much every fight, especially given that it's normal mode content you're doing.

Also, don't really expect to jump from 7/12 normal to a guild that's 10 or 11/12 HC. It just won't happen. Unless you find a guild that desperately (DESPERATELY) needs your class, it isn't happening. And frankly, guilds that are super desperate for hunter DPS aren't that common. Nonetheless, try to only app to guilds that are in need of your class.

Don't lie on the application either. It's dumb, and anybody can check your story out, and if they find out you are lying later on, then the jig is up.

Finally, don't rush an app. Treat it like a resume and take the time to make thoughtful responses to the questions. When an app says 'what can you bring to our guild that somebody else can't' do NOT just say 'leet dps lol!' And yeah, don't try to claim that your gear is BiS either; you can't get BiS gear with 7/12 normal.

This, when I applied to my current guild I was in a 'bog-standard' type of guild and It took me around 2-3 days to actually write and gather the application all into one and then go into mass detail on just about everything I could.

TL;DR - If you want something bad enough you'll put maximum effort in to just get a shot at it, good luck.

[Vashtar]

Simple, apply with decent grammar and 90% of the time you will get a trial

[Renard117]

This thread is depressing, it's like someone is writing a resume for a job or something. Honestly if I have to apply to get into a guild then screw those guys. I'm here to play a game, not get a second job in a video game.

[kerwyn]

This thread is depressing, it's like someone is writing a resume for a job or something. Honestly if I have to apply to get into a guild then screw those guys. I'm here to play a game, not get a second job in a video game.

The thing is, for 90% of raiding guilds it's nowhere near as in-depth as you think. We're trying to filter out the people who obviously don't give a fuck or know anything about the game.

[Nev12]

This thread is depressing, it's like someone is writing a resume for a job or something. Honestly if I have to apply to get into a guild then screw those guys. I'm here to play a game, not get a second job in a video game.

Theres nothing wrong with people wanting to play with other people that care about the same stuff as them, which generally means progressing fast.
Yes it may look like a job application, however why should people not ask for proper made applications? I mean if you join a proper guild people want to make sure that you'll stay there, don't do stupid things in raids, also they want people that share the same common goal, not that you can really be sure that people will perform as they state in an application(thats what trial raids are for).

However the application enables you to see if a person does care even one tiny bit with which people he will spend time for a while.

tl;dr - People do not want to waste time with you if you do not care even one tiny bit about where you'll end up.

[Lex14]

This thread is depressing, it's like someone is writing a resume for a job or something. Honestly if I have to apply to get into a guild then screw those guys. I'm here to play a game, not get a second job in a video game.

I think you are the kind of person the application process is intended to weed out. It doesn't make you a bad player, just not the type those guilds are looking for.

There is little else to add to what Dougal said at the bottom of page 1. Show some personality, progress your experience, and improve the guild that you are a member of. The last time I was an officer and had to screen applications (back in TBC), I was astounded at how many people would respond to every question with terrible grammar and a "lol" at the end of each sentence.

[Gammer]

This thread is depressing, it's like someone is writing a resume for a job or something. Honestly if I have to apply to get into a guild then screw those guys. I'm here to play a game, not get a second job in a video game.

There are some benefits to being in a high-end guild. The first thing everyone thinks of is 'omg uber l33t gearscore dood'.

Second is raid times. While sure, progression is intense, guess what happens after everything is dead? Well, while any other normal mode guild/partial hardmode guild is busting their ass off 4-5 nights a week getting nowhere (in before 'well my guild doesn't raid that much!!') we clear 12/12 HM and RS in four hours on Tuesday then sit back and troll forums/play alien swarm/ have sex with all the hot babes who want our gear score.

So yeah, while applying to a high-end guild may seem like a job resume, rest assured it is quite worth it in the end.

[Greenmahn]

Lots of great answers in this thread and a few qq's/troll type answers.

Simply this

1> Know your class
2> Know game mechanics
3> Make sure you apply in a clear and concise manner.
4> Don't Apply to guilds that are out of your range either.(meaning you dont have any hard mode experience don;t go applying to ones that have 12/12 Hardmodes on Farm. Look for ones that have 6 or less on farm you would be more likely to get a test run with such a guild)
4> NEVER LIE. The biggest thing that will get you not invited is getting caught in a lie.
5> Don't ever qq in you application thread.
6> Logs are great and alot of the end game guilds will want them and when i say Logs I refer to raid logs( know you dont have to be number 1 on the meters Most of the guilds know that getting number 1 isnt as important as not doing stupid stuff in a raid I?E standing in fire getting hit by abilities you can avoid and using the correct rotation all of which we/they can tell by looking at raid logs)
7> When you do get a trail run come prepared and have a stable internet connection. (flasks(elixirs if you prefer), pots, food, reagents for buffs if it applies)
8> Last and one of the most important Be able to accept constructive criticism!

When I was in an end game raiding guild (been awhile it was before ICC) I was one of the Recruiting officers. And we had a few people that applied fail at those simple things when someone questioned their spec/gear they blew up in the thread. Then we had some that just straight out failed in trail runs from being unable to move out of fire(I.e. Stupid stuff like using the wrong flask melee using a tanking flask or pvp flask actually had one guy use the resilience flask in Htoc.

So just be prepared from the application to the trial run and give it time and be prepared to character transfer. If you cant find one on your server.

[Schmiggy]

None of what anyone has said is actually correct. Here is a few things to know about applying to a 'hardcore' raiding guild and about the guilds themselves.

<insert strict as #@!$ guidelines>

Honestly, it makes me a little sick how seriously some people take this game.
Now I research my class just as much as the next guy raiding top end content, but I have been denied entry to a raiding guild purely because my toon was originally an alt and I hadn't gotten around to leveling a second propper profession yet. Call me bitter/cut/whatever you like, but at the end of the day I know I could play half the players of the top guilds on my server under the table.
I can appreciate people wanting a certain level of reassurance, given raid lock outs, repair bills, wasted time etc but most of what guilds ask a person to do just to be considered is downright sad.

@Gammer - yes, in the end being able to clear all that content in one night over 4 hours sounds like a sweet deal to me, but I still don't believe it justifies the extent which applicants are expected to go to just to be considered.

*disclaimer* No, I haven't downed 25m LK heroic, nor have I done 10m LK heroic - I've only downed 11/12 hard modes in 10 and 9/12 in 25, you could call me a shit player, what with the buff being at 25%, but my 10 man run started as a pug, we have 3 hours a week to clear the instance and literally don't have the time to make hard mode attempts on LK. I would like to be in a 25m guild working on or has down LK 25 HM, but I won't app to a guild stuck so far up their noses that you need to prove you are (in most cases) a better player than the person judging you just to be considered.

[threegreenpears]

I think a lot of people trying to hop into higher-tier guilds aren't necessarily aware of the performance-jump expected of them. I know a lot of people who've actually told me "Oh you should apply to world top guilds!" (They specific mentioned Cuties Only, hehe) but only because they weren't aware that my experience at the time (which was indeed 6/12 Norm ICC 25) essentially precluded me from even being considered. Just because I outperformed them by a significant amount didn't qualify me for a top guild; outperforming mediocrity is no accomplishment.

Even with improved experience and baby-steps to better guilds, it might just be that you have to accept that top-top-top guilds will never be available, be it due to your own limitations in skill, or raiding schedules, or they never need *insert class here* or even just server-dependent aspects: not all servers are at the same spot progression-wise. I've heard of 11/12 ICC pugs on Cho'gall, whereas my own server pugs rarely get past 4/12, and guilds are comparably weaker as well.

[Zoma]

There are some benefits to being in a high-end guild. The first thing everyone thinks of is 'omg uber l33t gearscore dood'.

Second is raid times. While sure, progression is intense, guess what happens after everything is dead? Well, while any other normal mode guild/partial hardmode guild is busting their ass off 4-5 nights a week getting nowhere (in before 'well my guild doesn't raid that much!!') we clear 12/12 HM and RS in four hours on Tuesday then sit back and troll forums/play alien swarm/ have sex with all the hot babes who want our gear score.

So yeah, while applying to a high-end guild may seem like a job resume, rest assured it is quite worth it in the end.

This is what I want from my guild.

[Sofonos]

I agree with Gammer.
It depends a bit on exactly how hardoce the guild is, some servers have several top 100 guilds and on some servers the top guild is around 500 in the world which is a two world differance between hardcore raiding. While guild like cuties only may require top 200 WoL logs, other guilds do not which still kill HLK.
I doubt that the OP is going to join a top 10 guild but instead rather some guild who have killed 11/12 or less (thought I doubt you are hardcore then) in ICC hm.
The general things you posted is great and I could probably not put it better myself.
Rule 1 to overcome gear/progress: Write an awesome apply with logs that show you do PERFECT yes perfect dps in your gear, explain your class well with reasoning behind your rotation/specc/gems even if they are obvious, adding math for stuff is only a plus and never a minus.
I raided with a top guild in ulduar then that guild disbanded and I took a break for the majority of togc then I wrote an application like that (I did link logs) and by doing that I overcame the gear differance.

---------- Post added 2010-07-22 at 03:25 AM ----------

There are some benefits to being in a high-end guild. The first thing everyone thinks of is 'omg uber l33t gearscore dood'.

Second is raid times. While sure, progression is intense, guess what happens after everything is dead? Well, while any other normal mode guild/partial hardmode guild is busting their ass off 4-5 nights a week getting nowhere (in before 'well my guild doesn't raid that much!!') we clear 12/12 HM and RS in four hours on Tuesday then sit back and troll forums/play alien swarm/ have sex with all the hot babes who want
our gear score.

So yeah, while applying to a high-end guild may seem like a job resume, rest assured it is quite worth it in the end.

also this! being able to down content fast and then only raid 1-2 days per week (3 hours HM ICC clear and then 1 shot Halion) is awesome since you can do the same as everyone else with higher standards and more free time to do whatever you want, gear up alts and do ICC hm again yey!

[Sarcasm]

Stop saying "Gear Score". As recruitment officer for our guild, when I see that on apps, they lose most of their credibility.