Off-topic:

Thank you very much,

Going by your site, you do not need a lot of input, as I believe you are on that level of self-educating that is faster than most training can do, if not done in 1on1 sessions. But, yes, learning never stops; at least I learn constantly.

Realism is a wide theme, and with anything, like VFX, CG, or 3D in general, it takes 20% effort to get to 80% quality but 80% effort to cover the last 20%, whereby the point between 80 and 20 needs to be seen like a gamma point defining a curve between zero and 100%.
Besides that, I like to differentiate between realism, photorealism, and hyperrealism, which is a long and endless discussion. However, knowing which one is targeted might help accelerate the learning journey towards it.

How to become a Maxonian? The fastest way to see if there is a fit between current needs and qualifications is to check out the Careers site:
https://www.maxon.net/en/about-maxon/careers

Other ways are to certify in Maxon's products or go full into the Certified trainer path
https://www.maxon.net/en/certification
If you have a trainer Certification, you get some extra exposure.

This might result in invitations to present at shows and get more in contact with the team.

To have a great social media representation of one's work, perhaps using the #Cinema4D here and there might help sometimes as well.

All my suggestions are options, not a path with a guarantee.

Enjoy your work!