Salve Wicked Sencho! (this is the internet, who needs real names? Pfft.)
I think you're putting the cart before the horse a little bit on this one. Joining a clan is a great way to learn the game a bit better, and there are plenty of great clans and competitive teams (Guns of Icarus Online has its own community fueled competitions, the latest one starting up May 24th). So you should really try to look into a clan of people that you enjoy playing with who are preferably somewhat in your time zone (really important in a world-wide game like this). And, since I'm here, you should head over to the SPQR recruitment thread, my clan, and see if maybe we're the clan for you!
In any event, I hope you enjoy your time playing Guns of Icarus, see you in the skies!~