If the third time’s not a charm, try seven.

After rejection e-mail upon rejection e-mail, Sai Yang, a communications junior , finally bagged the seventh campus job he applied for.

“It’s pretty rough,” he said. “That ‘Oh, we filled it,’ or, ‘We’re interviewing right now, but we’ll call you.’ “

The majority of fall semester jobs are filling in the next few weeks as the University gets ready to provide its varied services and local businesses prepare for student patronage.

The month of August sees the most additions to the University job website, and it’s the most competitive month for popular entry-level positions, Judy Gelina , University Human Resources spokeswoman, said.

“If you see a job you’re interested in today, fill [the application] out today,” Gelina said.

Positions such as library workers, lab technicians and Coffman Union jobs are snatched right away and others, like custodial positions, may never be filled and taken off of the University website.

The University’s Parking and Transportation Services is fully staffed by the end of September, Mary Sienko , department spokeswoman, said. PTS reviews applications and hires its staff in the first few weeks of August, and it trains during the last few weeks.

The majority of jobs at campus businesses will be taken shortly, too. Local restaurants and service companies need to have their employees trained by the beginning of school, Jim Rosvold, Stadium Village Commercial Association spokesman, said .

“I don’t know about a lot of other aspects of the world but the retail market is already filled,” he said. “Apply early. If you’re looking for a fall job, I’d start looking now.”

Add to these challenges the fact that students will contend with employees returning to their posts for the next semester.

Housing and Residential Life at the University has 60 percent of its staff return to work fall semester, making job hunting more competitive, Susan Stubblefield , Housing and Residential Life spokeswoman, said.

But 500 first-year students can take all of the time they want, because the University is guaranteeing them jobs this semester. The students, like incoming French studies first-year Willow Balas , were in the first 500 to sign up for the Freshman Job Guarantee Program. They’ll attend a private career fair this fall and choose between departments and positions.

“I’m glad that they have this program so that I can get my foot in the door,” Balas said. “I don’t have super qualifications.”

But for those who were not in the first 500 to sign up, there is still hope for fall employment other than residence hall janitorial work. Businesses like Applebee’s on Washington Avenue will have a second round of hiring a month into school, manager Joe Spiegel said.

Businesses normally fill their staff rosters before school starts and then lose employees and cut shifts during the first weeks of school. This cycle creates new spaces for fresh applications, Spiegel said.

Yang said that in a cutthroat student job market, the key to getting a position is to persevere.

“Be rigorous,” he said. “I applied like seven times. You just have to keep on going.”