EssentialOffice skillsBeginner Version française

Master your computer, your files and your email

A tidy workstation, a professional mailbox and twenty shortcuts that save you an hour a day from the very first week

  • 5 h of training
  • 4 modules · 16 lessons
  • 36 exercises
  • 1 project
  • Certificate included

What you will be able to do

  • Command of the Windows 11 environment and the AZERTY keyboard
  • File and folder management with a filing plan and a naming rule
  • Backing up and sharing documents on Google Drive and OneDrive
  • Writing and managing a professional mailbox (Gmail, Outlook)
  • Workstation productivity: keyboard shortcuts, screenshots, search

What you will produce

  • Your work folder structure in place, with a written naming rule
  • Your automatic backup running on Google Drive or OneDrive, tested on a file
  • Your professional email signature and three ready-to-use message templates
  • Your inbox sorted with labels or folders and one automatic sorting rule
  • Your personal sheet of 20 keyboard shortcuts and your start-of-day and end-of-day routine
  • The final project: your organized workstation, documented with screenshots

Possible earnings

This course does not give you a profession on its own: it is the foundation required for most office jobs. In Dakar, an administrative officer or data entry assistant position generally starts between 100,000 and 180,000 FCFA (about $165 to $300) gross per month in 2026, well above the minimum wage of about 64,000 FCFA (about $105), and computer skills are often tested as early as the job interview.

Indicative estimate, depending on your market, pace and work. No income is guaranteed.

Tools used

  • Windows 11
  • File Explorer
  • Google Drive
  • OneDrive
  • Gmail
  • Outlook
  • Snipping Tool

What you'll learn

  • Use Windows 11 with ease: windows, taskbar, useful settings and search
  • Type fast and accurately on an AZERTY keyboard, including accents, accented capitals and special characters
  • Organize your files in a clear folder structure with a dated naming rule
  • Back up and share your documents with Google Drive or OneDrive without losing any version
  • Write, send and file professional emails with a proper subject line, attachment and signature
  • Save time every day with about twenty keyboard shortcuts and a work routine

Prerequisites

  • Access to a Windows computer (personal, family or office) at least three hours a week
  • Being able to turn on the computer and use a mouse or a touchpad
  • An existing email address (Gmail or Outlook) or the ability to create one
  • No previous course needed: this is the first level of the track

About this course

You know how to turn on a computer, but you still hunt for your files in "Downloads", you struggle to type accented letters and you send emails from your phone because it feels easier. At the office, it shows: a document you cannot find in front of your manager, a forgotten attachment, an hour lost every day. This course makes you self-sufficient on the essentials in five hours. Across four modules, you get to grips with Windows 11 and the French AZERTY keyboard, you organize your files with a folder plan and names everyone understands, you set up a backup on Google Drive or OneDrive, you write and organize your emails like a professional, and you adopt the keyboard shortcuts that transform a working day. Every lesson ends with exercises applied to your own computer. You leave with an organized workstation, a clean email signature, a sorted inbox and a shortcut sheet to keep next to your screen. **Place in the Office and productivity track**: this is level 1, the entry point. It prepares level 2, *Professional Word: CVs, reports and documents that inspire confidence*, where you will produce your first business-quality documents.

Who it is for: People who are new to computers or feel slow on them: new office employees, shop owners getting equipped, students looking for an internship, administrative officers, and entrepreneurs who do everything on their phone and want to move to a PC.

Curriculum

A module-by-module path: lessons, exercises, quizzes and projects to submit.

  1. Module 1· 9 exercises

    Your workstation under control

    Find your way around Windows 11, type without searching on the AZERTY keyboard and keep your computer fast and protected.

    • Windows 11 in 15 minutes: desktop, taskbar, windows and searchFree preview15 min
    • The AZERTY keyboard without searching: accents, @, accented capitals and symbolsFree preview15 min
    • A fast, protected computer: updates, antivirus, power cutsFree preview12 min
    • Module handout (PDF)Free preview5 min
    • Quiz: your workstationModule quiz

  2. Module 2· 9 exercises

    Files, folders and backup

    Set up a filing system that you and your colleagues understand, and never lose a document again.

    • Understanding files, folders, extensions and File Explorer12 min
    • Your folder plan and your dated naming rule15 min
    • Back up and share with Google Drive or OneDrive, USB drive included15 min
    • Module handout (PDF)5 min
    • Quiz: files and backupModule quiz

  3. Module 3· 9 exercises

    A professional mailbox

    Write emails that get read and answered, and keep your inbox under control.

    • Address, signature and basic rules of a professional email12 min
    • Writing a clear email: subject line, greeting, message, attachment15 min
    • Sorting your inbox: labels, folders, automatic rules and calendar15 min
    • Module handout (PDF)5 min
    • Quiz: professional emailModule quiz

  4. Module 4· 9 exercises

    Keyboard shortcuts and work organization

    Adopt the shortcuts and habits that save an hour a day at the office.

    • The 20 essential keyboard shortcuts for the office15 min
    • Screenshots, PDFs and quick search: the small tools that save the day12 min
    • Your work routine: start of day, end of day, to-do list12 min
    • Module handout (PDF)5 min
    • Quiz: shortcuts and organizationModule quiz
    • Final project: your organized workstationCapstone

  5. Certificate included

Your certificate at the end

A numbered certificate with your validated skills, a public page and a verification QR code. Add it to LinkedIn in one click.

Kolonell Academy
Verified by Kolonell Academy

Certificate of skills

Your name

has completed and validated the course

Master your computer, your files and your email

Certified skills

  • Command of the Windows 11 environment and the AZERTY keyboard
  • File and folder management with a filing plan and a naming rule
  • Backing up and sharing documents on Google Drive and OneDrive
  • Writing and managing a professional mailbox (Gmail, Outlook)
  • Workstation productivity: keyboard shortcuts, screenshots, search

Number KOL-CERT-2026-XXXXX

Mohamed Bah

Founder, Kolonell Academy

Poster for Master your computer, your files and your email

Course poster

Download the poster to print it, send it to your employer or share it with colleagues. The full programme details every module.

Download PNGDownload PDFFull programme (PDF)

This course is part of the track

Bureautique et productivité

Level 1 of 5 · Essential

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
See the 5 track levels

Next level · 2/5 Practical

Professional Word: CVs, reports and documents that inspire confidence

A working system in your business

Clean, well-structured, credible letters, CVs and reports, produced twice as fast with styles and templates

50,000 FCFA 10 h

View the next level

Your instructor

Mohamed Bah

Founder of Kolonell, a digital agency in Dakar. A former CTO, he has trained administrative and sales teams on office tools and built business applications for SMEs in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Dubai.

Questions about this course

I don't have a personal computer. Can I take the course?

Yes, if you have access to a Windows computer at least three hours a week (office, family, cybercafe). The exercises on files and backup are best done on a computer you use regularly.

What if I use a Mac?

The principles are the same (folders, naming, email, backup). The shortcuts differ: whenever a Windows shortcut is given, the Mac equivalent is shown in parentheses when one exists.

How much time should I plan?

About five hours: three hours of lessons, the end-of-lesson exercises and 45 minutes for the final project. With two or three sessions a week, you finish in two weeks.

Do I need to buy Microsoft Office?

No. This level uses Windows, a web browser, Gmail or Outlook and the free storage of Google Drive (15 GB) or OneDrive (5 GB). Office becomes useful from level 2.

Do I get a certificate?

Yes, a Kolonell Academy certificate that can be verified online, issued after the quizzes of the four modules and the approval of the final project.

What should I do after this level?

Move on to level 2, Professional Word, to produce clean CVs, letters and reports. The full track leads all the way to the executive assistant profession.

How do I pay?

Via Wave or Orange Money. After enrolling you receive a pro forma invoice by email with the number to pay. Send the proof on WhatsApp: your access is activated within 24 business hours.

How long do I keep access?

For life, updates included. Learn at your own pace and revisit lessons as often as you need.

How do I get the certificate?

Complete the lessons and pass each module quiz with at least 70%. The certificate is generated automatically, with a unique number and a public verification page.

Our commitments

  • Lifetime access, updates included
  • Publicly verifiable certificate
  • Wave / Orange Money payment, activation within 24 business hours
  • WhatsApp support

25,000 FCFA · 38 €

Essential