Take a day during spring break, shadow a guy, and create a career. It was that straight forward for Jensen Rendon with Above and Beyond Plumbing & Electric in Bartlett, TN (Memphis area). Jensen graduated from the IEC Mid-South Apprenticeship Program in spring 2025, and he knows he’s in a solid career and it’s one that he enjoys greatly.
“I had a couple different plans I was looking at for after high school, like community college or going to TCAT (Tennessee College of Applied Technology) for electrical or HVAC,” Jensen recalls. “Nathan Harmeier, president of Above and Beyond, was a family friend of ours. When he heard I was looking into the trades, he gave me an opportunity to shadow him for a day during spring break senior year of high school. I did that and it was just something about the environment of the workplace and being hands on. It just clicked.”
After high school graduation, he started to work at the company and a couple months later, Above and Beyond enrolled him in the IEC Mid-South Apprenticeship Program.
Above and Beyond Plumbing & Electric Company was started by Nathan in 2003 with a focus on customer service and quality work. Per the company website, Nathan is known for going the extra mile and giving his employees continuous training and education so that they can provide customers with a “WOW” customer experience.
“Above and Beyond is mostly residential, service, remodels, and new construction, but we do a little bit of commercial,” Jensen says. “We have five electrical trucks and one plumbing truck. We’re a smaller company (about 15) and really like doing the best work we can and making everything safe. We take pride in our work.
“I’m extremely grateful to Above and Beyond for my start,” Jensen continues. “They have been incredibly supportive. John Hoffman helped me in the field and he pushed me to excel more than anyone. He has always taken the time to help and explain things I didn’t understand in my first couple years and always pushed me to exceed expectations.”
Apprenticeship Makes Sense
Jensen is sold on the four-year IEC apprenticeship method — working full time while going to class one night each week. It was a great experience for him for a number of reasons.
“There always is a lot of new information that you don’t learn in high school with math and algebra classes or on the job; it’s a different way of teaching that is focused on the why you need to do things certain ways. My first-year instructor, Jonathan Holmes, took his time to make sure everyone understood the lesson before he moved on. He made a big impact on me and helped me see that I really wanted to do this.”
Jensen knows he was pretty green when starting school but Jonathan’s teaching style, availability to answer questions, and support made him feel comfortable about the field and his ability to excel in it.
“My third- and fourth-year teacher Eddie Lamar made a huge impact on me as well,” Jensen adds. “He was great at helping me find out why you need to do things a certain way, not just how to do it. I really appreciated that, and it’s the main reason why I wanted to go through schooling. I believe school helped me catch on to the trade a lot faster than if I were just learning on the job. It opens up so many more opportunities.”
Class exposed Jensen to other areas of electrical work outside of Above and Beyond’s specialties. Through the IEC Apprenticeship Program, he learned about different scenarios and areas like industrial and commercial work. One part of electrical work that appeals most to Jensen is the problem-solving aspects of the job.
“I love to troubleshoot and the critical thinking it requires,” he says. “Every time I get that service call where I have to figure out what’s happening, I just love it. Having a problem, figuring out what is going on, and seeing it all the way through to the fix always has been one of my favorite things to do.”
Giving Back
Jensen may have graduated last spring, but he jumped right back into IEC Mid-South by becoming a first-year instructor for the chapter in the fall of 2025. You see, in addition to loving the problem-solving aspects of electrical work, he’s always been thrilled to pass along what he’s learned to younger apprentices on the job. He remembers the impact instructors like Eddie made on him and his confidence. Knowing that, he knew he’d like to share his acquired knowledge and give back to new first years what he received from his instructors.
“I was nervous at first and that first day I remember going up there to the front of the class, looking out, and thinking it was just four years ago that I was sitting in those seats and wondering if I was going to make it in this field,” he says.
While still developing his teaching style, he draws significantly on what he learned from the instructors he had and how he felt as a student. That includes always being sure his apprentices know why they do things a certain way, bringing examples into his classes, getting to know how his students learn best, encouraging them to ask questions, being enthusiastic, and getting students to participate.
“I’ll write up problems on the board, have them come up, solve it, and then we go through why,” Jensen explains. “We talk about why we would do it this way vs. another way and all the steps we need to take. We solve those problems together.”
His biggest concern was maybe the way he teaches isn’t the way his students learn.
“Everyone learns a bit differently so I was worried that I might lose a couple people with the lesson,” Jensen says. “My main goal was to discover how everyone learns best so that I can help everyone. I also remember that as a student, I wasn’t always confident asking a lot of questions during class; I liked to wait until the breaks or after class, so I try to be sure my students know they have those options as well. I try to create an open space.”
He prepares for each week’s class by reviewing the lessons and gathering materials. With a class of 26 first years, he tries to anticipate any obstacles he may encounter and the questions they’ll have. He readies himself to walk around and be available as they tackle concepts that might be new to them and even a bit overwhelming.
A Lot of Learning Left to Do
Even with the full-time job and his efforts for IEC Mid-South, Jensen squeezes out some time to invest in his favorite hobbies like fishing with his dad and brothers, mostly bass. He builds custom lamps for himself and others, collects vinyl, spends time with his dog, and, yes, reads his code book regularly to stay sharp.
He wants to continue learning, get his master’s or electrical contractor’s license in the near future, and maybe someday down the road open his own business.
“I haven’t completely decided if I want to go that route and open my own business, but it’s definitely something I have my eyes on,” he says. “In the meantime, I want to get more experience under my belt, work hard for Nathan at Above and Beyond, and help others entering this trade.”
Why Become an Electrician?
He’s early in his career, but Jensen says he’s enjoyed everything about it so far — especially the people he’s met, the people he’s gotten the chance to work with on jobs, and the friends he’s made some of whom he now considers family.
“If you get into a good company like I have, it really makes a whole lot of difference,” Jensen notes. “I wouldn’t want to do anything else; it’s just a great opportunity to learn this trade and is something that won’t ever die. Everyone will always need electricians, plumbers, and HVAC people.”