Modeling with Subdiv's

[Anonymous]

I had a quick question for anyone who's working in the professional field of modeling. I'm a maya generalist and not a total expert on one subject, but I have been using Maya close to 7 years and I typically use polygons for all my modeling. Unless I want to create extremely organic surfaces I use nurbs, but I still convert them to polys just for ease when texturing. How often are Subd's used and what are the benefits other then stepping back and forth through high and low poly counts? Are they most often used or are polys more likely to be used? I typically just hit smooth on my polys right before I do my final render. I'm looking for some advice on what professional studios look for when seeking out new artist.