I'm a 3d modeler for a military simulation company. (its boring compared to game/film industry.. but its the most stable and stress free)
The industry is very hard to get into.. you need a lot of dedication and sacrifice a lot of free time. In my opinion, 3d artists are way underpaid for the amount of effort you need to put in.. However, it is self rewarding and a very fun industry to work in.
Anyway... this is my advice..
Before you touch any 3d program... work on your BASIC TRADITIONAL SKILLS. Do a lot of drawing, painting, and even sculpting... it will help you tremendously in the long run.
This was the mistake I made.. You will progress and learn so much faster if you already know how to draw in 2D..
The package you learn doesn't really matter.. it's all on your portfolio.... However Maya & 3D Studio max are pretty much the standard... (Also ZBrush and mudbox are other programs primarily used for quick sculpts and generating high detailed normal maps)
A good forum for 3D is CGTALK (
http://www.cgtalk.com) there is some really amazing work on that site.