Thanks, really a complete answer!
Some of your points are the same I'd do, some tricks are very helpful. I think correct setting and frequent change of the snap grid is one of the things I should learn to do.
What I was saying about conventions and the usual way to do some things in this kind of job is about correctly and coherently "documenting" my work (so going beyond the simple Gerber I will generate). I'm an EE, but not a professional at schematics and layout, at least for now. For example, one of the things that amazes me is the work flow of an electronic board in a team, where some people work on the schematics, some on the SW, some on the layout. Layout and schematic, in particular, seem to me as a whole thing, while many times they are done by at least two different engineers. How do they annotate and keep track of their considerations about placement, routing of "sensible" signals, thermal issues, and so on. If there's a "standard" way, I want to learn it!
It is always a pleasure to hear from experienced people.