Hey, I fit into that category as well, with 12 years in AutoCAD, I have came to a point where I am the designer, I create the drawings and tell the engineer HOW it is going to be done, if he has a problem with that then I ask him if he has a better idea. I seldom have to change a design once I have set it in writing. I am responsible for calculating bearings, beams, loads, uplifts, lateral shifts, fastening schedules, and a whole host of other tasks which would normally be left up to designers.
I cringe when people refer to me as simply the draftsman who put it on paper. It does two things, negates my input into the project as unneeded, and diminishes my worth to my current employer in his eyes. Indeed ALL AutoCAD operators should be akin to designers. It will significantly reduce the need for edits and rework.
If I correctly label a beam the checker will not have to mark it up, and I will not have to fix it, thereby making the process more efficient and much faster. You will also feel good about yourself when you don't have a million markups to do.
