Starting as a software engineer in the application development department of a huge multinational. This will be my first job, ever.
What is that one advice, that you would give yourself if you were starting out?

Upgrade to pince-nez

Don't give unsolicited feedback.

Make sure the coffee is decent, you don't want to waste your time working at a company with shit coffee.

Decide if you will work there long term in the first three months. Journal all of the ideas for improvement that you see as you get to know the company but keep them to yourself; you will be blind to see them after a while. At the third month if you decide to stay long haul then you can find ways to implement improvements.

The problem with a lot of giant companies is that there are a lot of people that make red tape to validate their position. So a trial is important so that you can figure out if there is room around the red tape to do the things that you want to do. If you start offering unsolicited feedback you will either make enemies or get dragged into improvement projects that will make your life harder. So observe at first but save those ideas for when you know what you might be getting into.

Understand that if you disagree with a superior, even if you're correct, it's not worth the risk on your part to bring it up. Best case there is a change and a tiny drop of recognition for you makes it through, worst case they're a dick with a fragile ego and they make you unhappy at work.

@Crost that's only if you assume they suck. If you don't need to assume that, you are encouraged to bring forward your opinion and the reasons you have for it

@irene that makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the advice.

@ItsNotMyFault home office mate

@Benutzername Understood.

@BixelPitch Right.