In my opinion -
Shoot as high as you feel reasonable. Do you feel competent enough to work at a mid-level position? If so, apply to those positions. Often times job postings are "over posted" to weed out people who feel themselves underneath the job. If a posting asks for 5 years of experience, most companies would be happy with 1-2 years of quality, proven experience.
As for timing, I would say it's never too early to start networking. Get your feet wet with recruiters, make yourself known to companies. You might not necessarily want to go through a complete application process, but now is definitely the time to start researching and talking.
As for timing, I would say it's never too early to start networking. Get your feet wet with recruiters, make yourself known to companies. You might not necessarily want to go through a complete application process, but now is definitely the time to start researching and talking.