Protip: Don't overshare

So...  you know how they have all those rules for things you shouldn't say in a job interview?  Don't talk about your health problems, or your kids' activities, or that one chick Janice who never gave back your home brazillian kit...

Yeah.  A lot of those rules apply to the guild recruitment process.  Enough people have blathered at length about the similarities between successful guilds and successful companies, recruitment and the hiring process, being a guild officer and an HR rep, and all that good stuff.  You've got work that needs done, and you want to get the best people you can to do that work, but you also have to offer the right incentives to attract those people.  The parallels between recruiter/prospie and HR/job-seeker are easy to draw. 

Today, I want to focus on the prospie.  You've contacted or been contacted by a recruiting officer, and you're in your interview.  They're asking you all kinds of questions about your experience, your expectations, your availability...  And they're dumping all kinds of information on you.  You want to get a feel for them on a personal level, and you want to show off some of your personality, but...  Please.  Don't go overboard.  The most creepy, awkward, and annoying moments I've had as a recruiter have been the direct result of oversharing, either on my part or my prospie's.

So, for your future reference and my ease of posting, a beautifully bulleted list of What Not To Say in a recruiting interview:

• Don't whine about not getting loot in your old guild.  We will probably ask why you're leaving your current guild, if you come to us tagged, or why you left your other guilds if you're tagless.  I'm not saying don't be honest if you left over loot disputes, just... be delicate.  When it comes to loot, we recruiters are a skittish lot, so try not to scare the poor girl.   If you have to say anything, just say that there were inconsistencies in the looting policy, or there was a dispute over some drops.  You don't want the recruiter to walk away thinking you'll start whining or jump ship when things don't go your way.
• Leave old drama in the past.  Okay, you're leaving your guild because of drama.  That will suffice, thanks.  I don't need to hear about who was sleeping with who's cat, or girlfriend, or how many raids were cancelled because your raid leader was spending the night in the drunk tank.  Guilds these days like to stay low-drama, especially raiding guilds, where every boss kill has a brand new chance to start shit.  If you're so eager to talk shit about your old guild, odds are you'll be spreading things around THIS guild, and discord is bad mmkay?
• Your personal life is just that.  PERSONAL.  The interview is not some kind of speed date, where I've got to get to know you at least enough to know if I want a second date.  That's what your trial period is.  If we happen to all get blitzed on raid night and we're telling stories about painful water births or ruptured discs...  Go for it!  Now isn't the time.
• What you do for a living, what you drive, how smart your kids are?  Don't care.  This sort of goes with your personal life staying personal.  What I care about in the initial interview is your experience as a raider, your skills as a player, and your ability to commit to the guild.  Telling me you have a busy evening schedule and are only available late nights because of Tiffany's ballet classes is one thing.  Telling me that she's the best in her class, and fell last week, but she's still got a shot at the lead in Swan Lake?  Oversharing.
• Why you don't play your warrior any more is your problem.  This happened to me.  I had a woman go on at me for half an hour once about why she doesn't play her warrior any more.  See, she rolled it with her boyfriend, and he was her healer, and they ran as a tank/healer duo.  They ended up dating, and it was true love, and they moved in...  And then she caught him cybering with some mage and they broke up and it's all so painful and...  Yeah.  I stopped paying attention for a while because I lost interest.  The point is: I never offered her a trial, because she seemed like she was just going to be WAY too high maintainance.  And talk too much.  Oh, and I hate girls.  (That last part isn't true.)

Really, examples aren't necessary.  What's important is that you keep it professional and stick to what matters.  Don't overshare, don't waste your time and mine, and don't make me hate you.

Coming soon to a dysfunctional blog near you: How to select the perfect raid night cocktail!