Born in Fakenham, Norfolk, Jarvis became Norwich City's youngest ever first-team player with a substitute appearance in a 0–0 draw away to Walsall on 19 April 2003 in the First Division, aged just 16 years and 282 days.

[3][4] Jarvis ended the 2003–04 season with a First Division championship medal as Norwich won promotion to the Premier League.

[7] His 2005–06 season was wrecked by injuries limiting him to a solitary goal against Luton Town,[citation needed] however in April 2006 he signed a new two-year contract with Norwich.

[citation needed] On 15 February 2007, Jarvis joined League One club Leyton Orient on a one-month loan, to replace Paul Connor who was sold in the January transfer window.

[citation needed] After two goals in his first five matches of the new season, Jarvis did not score again until the 3–1 defeat of Gillingham in early December.

[19] After returning to Orient, he spent much of the time playing in the reserves or on the first team bench,[citation needed] but after coming on as a substitute for Harry Kane in a home match against Peterborough United, he scored the winner in stoppage time to keep Orient's play-off hopes alive.

[28][29] He scored the winning goal in the 90th minute of his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Northampton Town on 3 August 2013, in the first match of 2013–14.

[30] Having not played for York since October 2014, Jarvis joined Conference Premier club Aldershot Town on loan for the rest of 2014–15 on 13 January 2015.

Jarvis returned to Lowestoft Town for the 2021–22 season, but following the Trawlerboys' relegation from the Southern Football League Premier Division he moved on to Leiston in the summer of 2022.

[39] Jarvis' debut for the under-19 team came in a 1–1 draw away to Germany on 30 March 2004, before scoring his first goal at this level in a 3–0 home win over Denmark on 30 April.