An amateur grabs any old part from the parts bin and puts it into the board. A professional only uses parts that he has a valid part number for, since it will need to go into documentation somewhere.
An amateur assembles boards themselves. A professional only hand-builds if it will save money.
An amateur stores board revisions in zip files. A professional uses version control (like SVN).
An amateur doesn't pay attention to ESD when reworking boards. A professional uses proper grounding & wrist strap.
An amateur tries to solve all the problems himself. A professional coerces the manufacturer to help. :)
An amateur tests whether a design works. A professional tests how well the design works.
An amateur cares about the cost of the software tool. A professional cares about the productivity of the tool.
An amateur asks a question on a forum without RTFM. A professional asks a question on a forum after RTFM, usually when the documentation contradicts itself. :)
An amateur doesn't care about software licensing. A professional can tell you when you can use GPL code vs. LGPL vs. BSD license.
