Another important point that I feel I should raise is that I personally didn't sign up to the Maya Comprehensive course (which is, I admit, fabulously expensive) with a view to pursuing a career in the 3D industry afterwards. As a hobbyist I'm far more interested in the art of short film production and enjoy the flexibility that 3D gives me to do exactly what I want whilst working on my own and in my own time. So for me this is about learning the fundamental skills that I need to create these moving images.

Other people on the course come from different directions. One chap is head of his own advertising firm and wants to learn Maya simply so he knows what he can expect from his staff who use the tool. Another chap is an aeronautical engineer and sees Maya as useful visualisation tool within his own industry.

Some people do join the Escape course with dreams of Pixar and a guaranteed job afterwards. Some people are successful, some are not. As T3logy and MtMckinley have pointed out, success will ultimately be determined by the hard work and talent of the individual.