Women in Timber: Bethanie Jarvis-Green

In a new series of articles for Women in Timber, we highlight the career paths of women across the timber industry.

Each interviewee will share their experiences, pivotal moments and achievements, and insights into their roles, and celebrating the valuable contribution women continue to make within this sector.

In this article, we hear from Bethanie Jarvis-Green. Bethanie attended the Women in Timber event last month, and here she tells Modern Joinery News how she landed her marketing apprenticeship at Howarth Timber and Building Supplies.

“I started a marketing apprenticeship with Howarth Timber and Building Supplies towards the end of July this year, but I never expected to start a career in this industry. I studied Journalism and Public Relations at The University of Salford and always envisioned myself working in a fancy corporate agency.

“Cut to July, I was working in banking and really struggling with the fact that it felt I’d taken one step forward with my degree and then five massive steps back by not going straight into a graduate job. So, I started to look at apprenticeships (after saying I was absolutely done with education about a million times) and now here I am!

“Coming into the industry, I didn’t really know much about it. Although I actually grew up a lot around building materials, as my Mum used to be a delivery driver, so school holidays were spent cruising around in a big white van or toddling around warehouses sorting out boxes of nuts and bolts. However, I never paid much attention, and my goal was always to go to medical school, and I did everything in my power to make this happen. It turns out you actually need to study Maths and two Sciences at A-Level to do this and the only thing I really enjoyed was Biology!

“Then, about a month ago, I had the privilege of attending the Women In Timber UK event, and it was amazing to meet so many inspiring women and learn about their career journeys. It gave me the power to not put limitations on myself and my career, it’s ok to not have a set out plan for the rest of your life. It also made me determined to work my way into leadership as my career continues, I now feel more confident in networking and reaching out to people for advice and opportunities.

“I can’t wait to see where my career takes me, and I plan on saying yes to every opportunity that comes my way. No more imposter syndrome allowed here!”

For more information about Howarth Timber and Building Supplies, visit: Howarth Timber & Building Supplies – Timber Merchants UK