Design

The first question that needs to be answered is, Can knowing either 3ds Max or Maya increase your chances at landing a job? The answer is simple, no. If you're weighing the two applications based on if you get brownie points for knowing Maya over 3ds Max or vise versa is probably not a viable question. Skills always comes first among recruiters, if you're an amazing 3D modeler in Maya, and the job requires you to use 3ds Max then that place will likely train you in 3ds Max, because your work speaks for itself, not the application you used to create it.
That being said, both 3ds Max and Maya both have their strengths and depending on how you want to use the application will determine which program you should choose. There is a reason these two applications have become industry standards, they both are powerful programs, but yes, depending on how you want to use the programs, it might be smart to use one over the other.
What Are You Going to Use it for?
You should ask yourself what you're going to use the program for, are you wanting to create 3D character models, or create performances through character animation? Or maybe you want to break into game design, so you'll be using the application for creating game models or game animations. You also might be using the program for architectural visualisation, or integrating it within a VFX pipeline for film. Whatever the case may be, you should know exactly what you want to do with the program, because that alone can help you decide what to choose, 3ds Max or Maya.
Maya has been known to be a much more powerful application when it comes to animation, with a huge library of animation tools. Its also very customisable if you know a bit of MEL or Python which are the scripting languages in Maya. For example, Blue Sky Studios uses Maya for all their animation and rigging tasks.