Good question—these three are closely related, but they’re not the same. Think of them as different levels of handling money in a business.

🧾 1. Bookkeeping (the “record keeper”)

📌 What it is:

Bookkeeping is the daily recording of financial transactions.

🧠 What bookkeepers do:

Record sales and expenses
Issue invoices/receipts
Update ledgers
Enter data in Excel or QuickBooks/Xero
Track who owes money and who paid

💡 Simple meaning:

👉 “What happened to the money today?”

🧑‍💼 Entry-level job:

Bookkeeper
Accounting assistant
Data encoder (finance)

📊 2. Accounting (the “organizer + checker”)

📌 What it is:

Accounting is the process of organizing, classifying, and summarizing financial data.

🧠 What accountants do:

Prepare financial statements (income statement, balance sheet)
Analyze financial records
Make sure reports are correct
Help with audits and taxes
Interpret bookkeeping data

💡 Simple meaning:

👉 “What does the money data mean?”

🧑‍💼 Job roles:

Accountant
Staff accountant
Audit assistant

💰 3. Finance (the “decision maker”)

📌 What it is:

Finance is about managing money and making decisions for growth.

🧠 What finance people do:

Budget planning
Investment decisions
Risk management
Forecasting profits/losses
Business strategy

💡 Simple meaning:

👉 “What should we do with the money?”

🧑‍💼 Job roles:

Financial analyst
Finance manager
Investment analyst
Corporate finance officer

⚖️ SIMPLE COMPARISON

Field	Focus	Main Question
📒 Bookkeeping	Recording	“What happened?”
📊 Accounting	Organizing & reporting	“What does it mean?”
💰 Finance	Planning & decisions	“What should we do?”

🧠 REAL-LIFE EXAMPLE

Imagine a small store:

🧾 Bookkeeper: writes down every sale and expense
📊 Accountant: prepares monthly profit report
💰 Finance manager: decides if the store should expand or get a loan

🎯 FOR YOU (IMPORTANT)

Since you are planning TESDA Bookkeeping:

👉 Your path starts with: Bookkeeping → Accounting → Finance (optional long-term)

Most people:

start as bookkeeper
become accountant or VA/bookkeeper for foreign clients
some move into finance later

💡 HONEST ADVICE

If your goal is:

quick job
remote work
stable income

👉 Focus on:

Bookkeeping (TESDA NC III)
Excel
QuickBooks / Xero

🧠 FINAL SUMMARY

🧾 Bookkeeping = record transactions
📊 Accounting = understand + report finances
💰 Finance = make money decisions

If you want, I can show you next: 👉 “highest paying bookkeeping jobs (PH + remote)” 👉 “how to go from TESDA Bookkeeping → ₱40k–₱80k remote job path” 👉 or “what skills you should learn after Bookkeeping NC III”

After you finish TESDA Bookkeeping NC III, your next step is very important because the certificate alone is not enough—you need experience or a first job to grow.

I’ll break it down simply for you 👇

🧾📌 NEXT STEP AFTER BOOKKEEPING NC III

🥇 1. Take the TESDA Assessment (NC III Certificate)

Before anything else:

You must pass the TESDA assessment exam
After passing → you get your National Certificate (NC III)

👉 This is your “entry ticket” to accounting jobs

💼 2. WHERE TO APPLY (ENTRY-LEVEL JOBS)

After getting NC III, you can apply for:

🧾 A. Accounting Assistant (MOST COMMON START)

Data entry of transactions
Accounts payable / receivable
Excel reports
Filing invoices

💰 Salary: ₱15,000–₱25,000+

📒 B. Bookkeeper (Junior / Assistant)

Recording daily transactions
Using Excel or QuickBooks
Updating ledgers

💰 Salary: ₱18,000–₱30,000+

🖥️ C. Accounting Clerk / Encoder

Bank reconciliation support
Encoding financial data
Admin + accounting tasks

💻 D. Accounting Virtual Assistant (REMOTE JOBS)

Very popular now (especially for AU/US clients)

Tasks:

QuickBooks/Xero encoding
Invoicing
Bank reconciliation

💰 Salary:

₱20,000–₱50,000+ (remote)

🏢 WHERE TO APPLY (PHILIPPINES)

📍 Job sites:

JobStreet
Indeed
LinkedIn
OnlineJobs.ph (for remote VA work)

🏢 Companies hiring entry-level:

Based on real job listings:

Accounting firms (audit/tax firms)
BPO companies (finance accounts)
Real estate companies
Construction companies (accounting clerk roles)
VA companies (AU/US bookkeeping support)

Example roles seen recently:

Accounting Assistant (₱20K–₱23K)
Bookkeeper VA (₱30K–₱45K remote)
NC III Bookkeeping Associate (₱15K–₱17K entry level) (Indeed)

🧠 3. YOUR BEST NEXT PATH (IMPORTANT)

Since you:

are NOT an accounting graduate
but have BS Agriculture + TESDA NC III goal
work graveyard shift

👉 Best path for you:

STEP 1

✔ Finish TESDA Bookkeeping NC III

STEP 2

✔ Learn:

Excel (very important)
QuickBooks Online
Xero

STEP 3

✔ Apply for:

Accounting Assistant
Bookkeeper VA (entry-level)
Data entry accounting jobs

STEP 4 (after 6–12 months)

✔ Move to:

higher-paying VA bookkeeping
senior accounting assistant

💡 REAL TALK (IMPORTANT)

You don’t need to wait for a “perfect job.”

👉 Even if entry salary is low:

₱15K–₱20K local job OR
₱25K–₱40K remote job

That is already your career entry point

🧠 FINAL ANSWER

After Bookkeeping NC III:

👉 🥇 Apply as Accounting Assistant / Bookkeeper / VA 👉 🏢 Use JobStreet, Indeed, LinkedIn, OnlineJobs.ph 👉 💼 Start entry-level → gain experience → move to higher pay

If you want, I can guide you next: 👉 “Resume template for TESDA Bookkeeping job applications” 👉 “Top 10 companies hiring beginners in Metro Manila” 👉 or “how to get remote bookkeeping job (even with no experience)”

Here’s a realistic step-by-step path to get a remote bookkeeping job even with NO experience, especially after TESDA Bookkeeping NC III.

💻🧾 HOW TO GET A REMOTE BOOKKEEPING JOB (NO EXPERIENCE)

🥇 STEP 1: Build “job-ready skills” (2–6 weeks)

Even if you have NC III, employers want practical ability.

Focus on:

📊 Must-learn skills:

Microsoft Excel (VERY important)
- SUM, IF, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP
- Pivot Tables
QuickBooks Online (QBO)
Basic bookkeeping cycle:
- invoices
- expenses
- bank reconciliation

📍 Free learning sources:

QuickBooks Online tutorials (free official training)
YouTube: “QuickBooks beginner tutorial”
Excel practice (Google Sheets is okay too)

👉 Goal: “I can actually do bookkeeping tasks, not just theory.”

🧠 STEP 2: Create SIMPLE PORTFOLIO (VERY IMPORTANT)

Even without experience, you can fake “practice experience” ethically.

Make 3 sample works:

📁 Portfolio samples:

Sample Excel bookkeeping sheet (expenses + income)
Sample QuickBooks demo file (YouTube guided)
Bank reconciliation example (basic)

Put them in:

Google Drive folder OR
PDF file OR
Canva portfolio

👉 This is what makes you “hireable”

💼 STEP 3: Create a SIMPLE RESUME (no experience format)

Title yourself like:

“Entry-Level Bookkeeper / Accounting Assistant (TESDA NC III Certified)”

Include:

TESDA Bookkeeping NC III (or “in progress” if not yet certified)
Excel skills
QuickBooks/Xero training
Willing to work graveyard shift (BIG advantage for US clients)

🌍 STEP 4: WHERE TO APPLY (REMOTE JOB SITES)

🥇 Best platforms:

OnlineJobs.ph → BEST for Filipino remote work
Upwork → freelance bookkeeping
LinkedIn Jobs → global companies
Indeed Philippines → hybrid + remote listings

💼 STEP 5: APPLY SMART (don’t mass spam)

Apply for these titles:

Junior Bookkeeper
Accounting Virtual Assistant (VA)
QuickBooks Data Entry Assistant
Accounts Payable/Receivable Assistant
Ecommerce Bookkeeping Assistant

💡 STEP 6: HOW TO STAND OUT (THIS IS KEY)

Most beginners fail here.

You stand out by:

✔ Saying you are willing to work graveyard shift
✔ Showing portfolio (even small)
✔ Knowing QuickBooks basics
✔ Being trainable, not perfect

💰 REALISTIC FIRST JOB OUTCOME

Even with no experience:

🇵🇭 Local job: ₱15K–₱25K
🌍 Remote entry VA: ₱20K–₱40K

After 6–12 months experience: 👉 ₱40K–₱80K+ possible (remote clients)

⚠️ COMMON MISTAKE TO AVOID

❌ Waiting for “perfect experience” ❌ Applying without practice portfolio ❌ Only relying on TESDA certificate

👉 Certificate = proof of learning 👉 Portfolio = proof of skill (this gets you hired)

🧠 SIMPLE ROADMAP FOR YOU

Finish Bookkeeping NC III
Learn Excel + QuickBooks
Build portfolio (3 samples)
Apply on OnlineJobs.ph + Indeed
Get first job → gain experience → upgrade income

🥇 FINAL ADVICE (IMPORTANT)

Since you work graveyard shift already: 👉 You actually have an advantage for remote US/AU bookkeeping jobs because your schedule matches their daytime.

If you want, I can help you next with: 👉 “Ready-made resume for bookkeeping VA (copy-paste template)” 👉 “Beginner portfolio sample (Excel + QuickBooks format)” 👉 “Step-by-step guide to get first client in 30 days”

Got it—here’s a beginner bookkeeping portfolio you can actually build and show to employers even with no experience yet.

Think of this as your “proof of skill” for accounting assistant / VA jobs.

📁🧾 BEGINNER BOOKKEEPING PORTFOLIO (SIMPLE + EFFECTIVE)

🥇 What you need (minimum)

You only need:

Excel or Google Sheets
Canva (for presentation PDF) optional
Screenshots or exported reports

👉 Goal: show you can record, organize, and summarize transactions

📊 PROJECT 1: Simple Income & Expense Tracker (Excel)

📌 What it looks like:

Date	Description	Category	Income	Expense	Balance
Jan 1	Salary	Income	20,000		20,000
Jan 3	Food	Expense		200	19,800
Jan 5	Transport	Expense		100	19,700

🧠 Skills shown:

Basic Excel formulas (SUM, subtraction)
Tracking transactions
Organizing data

📊 PROJECT 2: Accounts Payable / Receivable Sheet

📌 Example:

Accounts Receivable (Money coming in)

Client	Invoice #	Amount	Due Date	Status
ABC Store	INV-001	5,000	Jan 10	Unpaid
XYZ Shop	INV-002	3,000	Jan 12	Paid

Accounts Payable (Money going out)

Supplier	Bill #	Amount	Due Date	Status
Globe Telecom	BILL-001	1,500	Jan 15	Unpaid

🧠 Skills shown:

Invoice tracking
Understanding receivables/payables
Basic accounting structure

🏦 PROJECT 3: Bank Reconciliation (Simple Version)

📌 Example:

Description	Bank Statement	Book Record	Difference
Deposit	10,000	10,000	0
Withdrawal	500	500	0

🧠 Skills shown:

Matching transactions
Accuracy checking
Attention to detail

🧾 PROJECT 4 (OPTIONAL): QuickBooks Sample (VERY IMPORTANT)

If you can, use QuickBooks Online free trial

Do this:

Create sample company (e.g., “ABC Business”)
Encode:
- 5–10 sales transactions
- 5–10 expenses
Generate report:
- Profit & Loss Report

📌 Screenshot these:

Dashboard
Profit & Loss report
Transaction list

📄 HOW TO PRESENT YOUR PORTFOLIO

Put everything in ONE file:

🧾 Option A: PDF Portfolio (BEST)

Use Canva or Word:

Cover Page:

“Bookkeeping Portfolio – TESDA NC III Applicant”

Sections:

Income & Expense Tracker (screenshot)
Accounts Receivable/Payable
Bank Reconciliation
QuickBooks screenshots (if available)

🧾 Option B: Google Drive Folder

Organize like:

Folder 1: Excel Sheets
Folder 2: QuickBooks Screenshots
Folder 3: PDF Summary

💼 HOW THIS HELPS YOU GET HIRED

When applying, you can say:

“I created sample bookkeeping reports using Excel and QuickBooks to demonstrate my ability to handle financial records, track transactions, and prepare basic reports.”

👉 THIS is what makes you look like a real candidate, not just a beginner.

⚠️ IMPORTANT (REAL TALK)

Employers don’t expect:

perfect experience

They DO expect:

basic Excel skills
understanding of bookkeeping flow
willingness to learn

👉 Your portfolio shows that instantly.

🧠 FINAL SIMPLE SUMMARY

Your beginner portfolio should include:

📊 Income & Expense tracker (Excel)
📑 Accounts Payable/Receivable sheet
🏦 Bank reconciliation sample
💻 QuickBooks screenshots (bonus but powerful)

If you want, I can next: 👉 make a ready-made Excel template you can copy directly 👉 or build your complete resume for bookkeeping VA jobs 👉 or guide you step-by-step to your first remote job application (OnlineJobs.ph)

Got it—here’s a beginner bookkeeping portfolio you can actually build and show to employers even with no experience yet.

Think of this as your “proof of skill” for accounting assistant / VA jobs.

📁🧾 BEGINNER BOOKKEEPING PORTFOLIO (SIMPLE + EFFECTIVE)

🥇 What you need (minimum)

You only need:

Excel or Google Sheets
Canva (for presentation PDF) optional
Screenshots or exported reports

👉 Goal: show you can record, organize, and summarize transactions

📊 PROJECT 1: Simple Income & Expense Tracker (Excel)

📌 What it looks like:

Date	Description	Category	Income	Expense	Balance
Jan 1	Salary	Income	20,000		20,000
Jan 3	Food	Expense		200	19,800
Jan 5	Transport	Expense		100	19,700

🧠 Skills shown:

Basic Excel formulas (SUM, subtraction)
Tracking transactions
Organizing data

📊 PROJECT 2: Accounts Payable / Receivable Sheet

📌 Example:

Accounts Receivable (Money coming in)

Client	Invoice #	Amount	Due Date	Status
ABC Store	INV-001	5,000	Jan 10	Unpaid
XYZ Shop	INV-002	3,000	Jan 12	Paid

Accounts Payable (Money going out)

Supplier	Bill #	Amount	Due Date	Status
Globe Telecom	BILL-001	1,500	Jan 15	Unpaid

🧠 Skills shown:

Invoice tracking
Understanding receivables/payables
Basic accounting structure

🏦 PROJECT 3: Bank Reconciliation (Simple Version)

📌 Example:

Description	Bank Statement	Book Record	Difference
Deposit	10,000	10,000	0
Withdrawal	500	500	0

🧠 Skills shown:

Matching transactions
Accuracy checking
Attention to detail

🧾 PROJECT 4 (OPTIONAL): QuickBooks Sample (VERY IMPORTANT)

If you can, use QuickBooks Online free trial

Do this:

Create sample company (e.g., “ABC Business”)
Encode:
- 5–10 sales transactions
- 5–10 expenses
Generate report:
- Profit & Loss Report

📌 Screenshot these:

Dashboard
Profit & Loss report
Transaction list

📄 HOW TO PRESENT YOUR PORTFOLIO

Put everything in ONE file:

🧾 Option A: PDF Portfolio (BEST)

Use Canva or Word:

Cover Page:

“Bookkeeping Portfolio – TESDA NC III Applicant”

Sections:

Income & Expense Tracker (screenshot)
Accounts Receivable/Payable
Bank Reconciliation
QuickBooks screenshots (if available)

🧾 Option B: Google Drive Folder

Organize like:

Folder 1: Excel Sheets
Folder 2: QuickBooks Screenshots
Folder 3: PDF Summary

💼 HOW THIS HELPS YOU GET HIRED

When applying, you can say:

“I created sample bookkeeping reports using Excel and QuickBooks to demonstrate my ability to handle financial records, track transactions, and prepare basic reports.”

👉 THIS is what makes you look like a real candidate, not just a beginner.

⚠️ IMPORTANT (REAL TALK)

Employers don’t expect:

perfect experience

They DO expect:

basic Excel skills
understanding of bookkeeping flow
willingness to learn

👉 Your portfolio shows that instantly.

🧠 FINAL SIMPLE SUMMARY

Your beginner portfolio should include:

📊 Income & Expense tracker (Excel)
📑 Accounts Payable/Receivable sheet
🏦 Bank reconciliation sample
💻 QuickBooks screenshots (bonus but powerful)

Building a bookkeeping portfolio is actually simpler than most people think. You’re not trying to show “job experience”—you’re showing that you can do the tasks of a bookkeeper using real tools (Excel + QuickBooks).

Here’s a clear step-by-step guide you can follow:

📁🧾 HOW TO BUILD YOUR BOOKKEEPING PORTFOLIO (STEP-BY-STEP)

🥇 STEP 1: Choose your tools

You only need:

📊 Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets
💻 Optional: QuickBooks Online (free trial)
📄 Canva (for presentation PDF)

👉 Don’t overthink tools—Excel alone is enough to start.

📊 STEP 2: Create 3–4 SAMPLE PROJECTS

Think of this like “practice work for imaginary companies.”

🧾 PROJECT 1: Income & Expense Tracker (MOST IMPORTANT)

Create a spreadsheet like:

Date
Description
Category
Income
Expense
Balance

👉 This shows basic bookkeeping skill.

📑 PROJECT 2: Accounts Receivable / Payable

Make 2 sheets:

💰 Receivable (money coming in)

Client name
Invoice number
Amount
Status (Paid/Unpaid)

💸 Payable (money going out)

Supplier
Bill number
Amount
Due date

🏦 PROJECT 3: Bank Reconciliation Sample

Match:

Bank statement vs your records

Show:

matched transactions
differences (if any)

💻 PROJECT 4 (OPTIONAL BUT POWERFUL): QuickBooks Sample

If possible:

Create a free QuickBooks Online trial
Add sample transactions
Generate:
- Profit & Loss Report
- Transaction summary

👉 Screenshot everything

📂 STEP 3: ORGANIZE YOUR FILES

Create folders like this:

📁 BOOKKEEPING PORTFOLIO

📁 Excel Sheets
📁 QuickBooks Screenshots
📁 Final PDF Portfolio

📄 STEP 4: CREATE A SIMPLE PDF PORTFOLIO

Use Canva or Word and include:

Cover page:

“Bookkeeping Portfolio – TESDA NC III Applicant”

Sections:

Income & Expense Tracker (with screenshot)
Accounts Payable/Receivable
Bank Reconciliation
QuickBooks samples (if any)

🧠 STEP 5: ADD A SHORT DESCRIPTION (IMPORTANT)

At the end, write:

“This portfolio demonstrates my ability to record financial transactions, organize accounting data, and prepare basic financial reports using Excel and QuickBooks.”

💼 STEP 6: HOW TO USE IT WHEN APPLYING

When applying on:

OnlineJobs.ph
Indeed
JobStreet

You say:

“I have attached a sample bookkeeping portfolio created using Excel and QuickBooks to demonstrate my skills.”

👉 This makes you look “job-ready” even as a beginner.

⚠️ COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID

❌ Waiting for “real experience” ❌ Making too many complicated files ❌ Not including screenshots ❌ No explanation of work

👉 Keep it SIMPLE and CLEAR.

🧠 SIMPLE ROADMAP FOR YOU

Make Excel tracker
Add receivable/payable sheets
Do bank reconciliation sample
Try QuickBooks (optional)
Put everything in PDF
Apply for jobs

💡 REAL TALK (IMPORTANT)

Employers don’t hire you because of TESDA alone.

They hire you because:

you can use Excel
you understand bookkeeping flow
you show proof (portfolio)

👉 Your portfolio = your “experience”

🧠 FINAL ANSWER

To build your portfolio: 👉 Create 3–4 sample bookkeeping projects in Excel 👉 Add screenshots + organize in a PDF 👉 Present it like real work experience

If you want next, I can help you: 👉 give you a ready-made Excel template (copy-paste format) 👉 or create your complete Canva portfolio layout 👉 or guide you step-by-step to your first bookkeeping job application