Filipino remote workers are throwing away ₱800 to ₱1500 on “VA courses” you see being offered by coaches on Facebook that teach them how to use Gmail.
I’m not joking.
The difference between a $2/hour remote worker and a $5-7/hour remote worker? Skills. Specific, demonstrable skills.
Here’s where you actually learn them without getting scammed and (usually for Free).
Built Your Portfolio? Time to Get Hired.
HireTalent.ph matches your actual skills with jobs that pay what you’re worth, not ₱250/hour VA rates.
Social Media and Content Marketing Courses
Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate (Coursera)
Link to the Course: Meta via Coursera
Cost: Initially free other courses might need Coursera Plus
Time: 5 hours/week (you can finish faster)
Certificate: Yes, recognized globally
This is the heavyweight certification for social media work.
Six courses total:
- Introduction to Social Media Marketing
- Social Media Management
- Fundamentals of Social Media Advertising
- Advertising with Meta
- Measure and Optimize Social Media Marketing Campaigns
- Meta Social Media Marketing Capstone
You learn platform strategy. Content planning. Community management. How to run Facebook and Instagram ads. How to read analytics and optimize campaigns.
The capstone project gives you portfolio work. You create an actual campaign strategy.
Employers see this certificate from Meta (the company that literally owns Facebook and Instagram) and trust you know what you’re doing.
Canva Design School
Link to the Course: Canva
Cost: Free
Time: 5-10 hours total
You need to create graphics. Period.
Most employers don’t want to hire a remote worker AND a designer. They want someone who can do both.
Canva Design School teaches:
- Graphic design basics (contrast, alignment, hierarchy)
- Brand consistency
- Social media graphics for each platform
- Presentations and documents
- Photo editing basics
The tutorials are short. Easy to follow. Immediately practical. After completing these, your social posts will look professional instead of amateurish.
Google Digital Garage (Fundamentals of Digital Marketing)
Link to the Course: Google
Cost: Free
Time: 40 hours
Certificate: Yes
Comprehensive digital marketing training across all channels.
17 modules covering:
- SEO fundamentals
- Social media strategy
- Email marketing
- Display advertising
- Analytics
- Content marketing
- Mobile marketing
- E-commerce
This gives you the vocabulary and concepts to talk intelligently with clients about their entire marketing strategy.
You’ll understand how different channels work together. How to measure ROI. How to think strategically instead of just tactically.
The certificate from Google adds credibility to your profile.
AI and Automation Courses
The Complete AI Guide
Link to the Course: Udemy
Cost: ₱500-₱1,200 (watch for 80-90% off sales)
Time: 10-20 hours depending on course
Rating: Look for 4.5+ stars with thousands of reviews
2026 employers expect you to use AI. Not just know about it. Actually use it daily.
These courses teach practical applications:
- Writing and editing SOPs
- Drafting email responses
- Creating content outlines
- Summarizing long documents
- Generating report templates
- Brainstorming ideas
- Research and data gathering
You’ll learn prompt engineering. How to write prompts that get good results. How to iterate and refine outputs.
Look for courses updated in 2024-2025. AI moves fast. Old courses teach outdated techniques.
ChatGPT (Free Resources)
Provider: YouTube, OpenAI documentation
Cost: Free
Time: 2-5 hours
Search for “ChatGPT for virtual assistants” or “ChatGPT for remote workers.” in Youtube or social media, chances are you will see channels that teach the basics
Focus on:
- Basic prompt structures
- Using ChatGPT for email management
- Creating templates and SOPs
- Automating repetitive writing tasks
- Research and summarization
Then practice. Open ChatGPT. Give it real tasks from your work. Experiment.
The best way to learn AI is by using it constantly.
E-Commerce Courses
Shopify Academy
Link to the Course: Shopify
Cost: Free
Time: 2-10 hours per course
If you want to work with Shopify stores, learn directly from Shopify.
Key courses:
- Store Setup and Optimization – How to configure a professional store
- Product Photography – Taking and editing product images that sell
- Email Marketing for E-commerce – Building customer lists and email campaigns
- SEO for E-commerce – Getting organic traffic to product pages
Many US and UK small businesses run on Shopify. Show Shopify certification and you’re immediately more hirable for e-commerce roles.
Selling on Amazon Courses
Link to the Course: Various instructors on Udemy
Cost: ₱500-₱1,500 during sales
Search terms: “Amazon FBA,” “Amazon product listing optimization,” “Amazon keyword research”
Rating filter: 4.5+ stars with 5,000+ students minimum
Amazon is its own ecosystem. It has specific rules, workflows, and optimization techniques.
Look for courses covering:
- Product research and sourcing – Finding profitable products
- Listing optimization – Writing titles, bullet points, descriptions that convert
- Keyword research – Finding search terms buyers actually use
- Amazon PPC basics – Running sponsored product campaigns
- Inventory management – Stock levels, FBA logistics
Don’t pay ₱20,000 for a local “Amazon VA” training program. These Udemy courses teach the same information for 95% less.
Bookkeeping and Finance Courses
QuickBooks Online Training
Link to the Course: QuickBooks/Intuit
Cost: Free tutorials, paid certification available
Time: 10-15 hours for basics
US small businesses use QuickBooks more than any other accounting software.
The free training teaches:
- Chart of accounts setup – Organizing business finances
- Invoice creation and management – Billing clients professionally
- Expense tracking – Recording and categorizing spending
- Bank reconciliation – Matching transactions to bank statements
- Basic financial reports – P&L, balance sheet, cash flow
You’ll learn navigation, workflows, and best practices directly from Intuit.
After completing the free training, you can pursue QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification (paid).
Don’t skip the official training. QuickBooks has specific ways of doing things. Generic accounting knowledge isn’t enough.
Xero Training
Link to the Course: Xero
Cost: Free training courses, certification costs ~$250 USD
Time: 15-20 hours
Xero is hugely popular with UK and Australian small businesses.
The platform is similar to QuickBooks but with different workflows and interface.
Free training covers:
- Getting started with Xero
- Invoicing and accounts receivable
- Bills and accounts payable
- Bank reconciliation
- Financial reporting
- Inventory tracking (for retail/e-commerce)
If you want to work with UK or Australian clients, learning Xero gives you a huge advantage. Many Filipino remote workers only know QuickBooks.
The paid Xero Advisor Certification is worth it if you’re serious about bookkeeping as a career.
Accounting Basics (Coursera)
Link to the Course: Multiple universities
Cost: Free to audit, ~$49-99 for certificates
Time: 15-30 hours per course
If you’re coming from a non-accounting background, start here before learning software.
Top courses:
- “Introduction to Financial Accounting” (University of Pennsylvania) – Teaches debits, credits, double-entry, financial statements
- “Finance for Non-Finance Professionals” (Rice University) – Business finance fundamentals without technical jargon
You need to understand the why behind bookkeeping, not just the how of clicking buttons in software.
Learn the concepts. Then learn the tools.
Certificates Means Nothing if Nobody Sees Them.
HireTalent.ph ranks you by job match and skill level, so employers actually notice your QuickBooks certification instead of scrolling past it.
Excel for Beginners (edX)
Link to the Course: DavidsonX via edX
Time: 12-20 hours
Data handling is critical for bookkeepers and executive assistants.
This course teaches:
- Formulas and functions – SUM, AVERAGE, IF statements, VLOOKUP
- Pivot tables – Summarizing large datasets
- Data visualization – Creating charts and graphs
- Report building – Professional financial reports
- Data organization – Best practices for spreadsheet structure
Bookkeeping employers expect solid Excel skills. Not just “I know Excel.” Real proficiency.
Take this course. Practice with sample data. Build mock financial reports.
Customer Relationship Management Courses
HubSpot Academy (Customer Service Certification)
Link to the Course: HubSpot
Cost: Free
Time: 3-4 hours
Certificate: Yes
One of the most recommended free certifications for customer service roles.
Covers:
- Customer service fundamentals and philosophy
- Building a help desk system
- Creating and using customer feedback
- Measuring satisfaction (NPS, CSAT)
- Service team management
Complete this in an afternoon. Add the certificate to your profile. You’re almost immediately more credible for support roles.
Zendesk Training
Link to the Course: Zendesk
Cost: Free
Time: 5-8 hours
Zendesk is one of the most popular help desk platforms for US and UK companies.
Training covers:
- Ticketing system basics
- Help center creation and management
- Workflow automation and triggers
- Reporting and analytics
- Multi-channel support (email, chat, social)
If you want customer support roles, Zendesk experience is a major plus.
Take the training. Get familiar with the interface. Show “Zendesk experience” on your profile.
Technical and Data Courses
HTML, CSS & JavaScript (Codecademy)
Link to the Course: Codecademy
Cost: Free basics, Pro membership $19.99/month
Time: 30-50 hours per language
You don’t need to become a developer.
But basic coding knowledge opens doors to higher-paying roles.
Start with HTML & CSS (10 hours). You’ll learn how websites are built. How to read code. How to make simple edits.
This is valuable for:
- Website management roles
- E-commerce product page editing
- Email template customization
- Landing page updates
If you enjoy it, add JavaScript. Then you can handle basic website functionality and automation.
Python 3 (Codecademy)
Link to the Course: Codecademy
Cost: Free basics, Pro $19.99/month
Time: 25-30 hours
Python is used for data analysis, automation, and scripting.
Learning Python lets you:
- Automate repetitive tasks
- Analyze data in ways Excel can’t handle
- Build simple tools and scripts
- Process large datasets
This moves you from administrative work into technical work. Higher pay. More interesting projects.
Introduction to Cybersecurity Specialization (Coursera)
Link to the Course: Various Authors from Coursera
Cost: Initially free other courses might need Coursera Plus
Time: 10-15 hours
Remote work requires data protection knowledge.
These courses teach:
- GDPR and data privacy basics
- Secure file handling and sharing
- Password management best practices
- Recognizing phishing and security threats
- VPN and secure connection usage
Employers worry about data security with remote workers. Show you understand cybersecurity basics and you’re less risky to hire.
Get Started Today
Pick one specialization.
Find the free or low-cost courses listed above.
Complete them with focus.
Build real projects to demonstrate your skills.
Apply with both certificates and portfolio work.
That’s the path from $2/hour to $5/hour or more.
One course. One skill. One portfolio piece.
Then the next.
That’s how Filipino remote workers build real careers in 2026.
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