Post processing, post processing, post processing.
As soon as you start messing about with a jpeg in photoshop, everything you do adds noise.
Making your tweaks in a RAW editor will generate much less noise.
Mind you, shooting in RAW did sort of ruin photography for me as a creative hobby. It removed a large chunk of technical aspect somewhat leaving mainly the composition up to you and basic settings. Once you start making great photos out of technically fluffed shots – it gets boring quickly.
However, all of my photography is editorial now and it's a god send knowing I can get the shot 'about right' and sort it later. Makes things less stressful and you can enjoy the shoot!