i've been talking to a lot of poepl abou this an been to an interview, from what i've gathered a phd isn't really going to get you any further as it's not seen as necessary. a masters however is a good idea although it obviously depends whether u can get sponsorship or afford to pay for it yourself, a masters and experience are the two key things. it is definitley competitive and it is worth sayin that i've heard that there's usually about 50-100 applicants per position so competitive is an understatement. good luck ppl