You’ve tirelessly tinkered away on your resume and cover letter. You’ve read up on the organization. You’ve sent out those winter job search applications. There’s just one problem: All you’ve got in response is, well, nothing. Nada. Crickets.

While you may have read that the first quarter of the year is one of the busiest for hiring, what can you do if you’re part of the 75 percent of job seekers who’ve applied to jobs using various avenues and didn’t hear back?

Can you believe 2014 is just around the corner? While you may be getting ready to toast to the new year, before the clock strikes 12, you should be evaluating your job search and making some necessary tweaks.

I know what you’re thinking. The end of the year isn’t for business, it’s for fun. Though this is most certainly true, it’s also a time for reflection, growth, and analyzing your professional journey. Understanding what’s worked this year and what needs to be improved is going to take your job search to the next level.

With that in mind, take control of your job search in 2014 by adjusting a few elements before years’ end:

Right now the weather isn’t the only thing cooling off. Many job seekers are putting their searches on freeze, wrongly assuming no employers are looking to hire during the holiday season. However the jolly guy in the red suit isn’t the only one hiring this winter season. Plenty of companies and industries are ramping up hiring. And hunting during the cold winter months might actually be the best way to beat the competition.

Age discrimination isn’t just a concern for grandpa. Young professionals are also seeing the effects of judgement based on their age.

Recent studies indicate experiences of age discrimination were more common for younger groups, with those under 25 at least twice as likely to have experienced it than other age groups. While older generations clearly still experience age discrimination — especially when looking for a job — it may surprise you to discover that the same could happen to you.

So what do you need to know about age discrimination? What are the warning signs and what should you do about it?

The holiday season is just around the corner!

From snow-covered streets to warm fireplaces to festive food, the holidays offer a slew of perks. But they’re also a great time to reflect on the past year, evaluate what worked, and look ahead to see what needs to change.

The same goes for your job search. While you may believe job searching is a pain in the you-know-what, there are lots of things you can appreciate, especially during the the holiday season.

Don’t be a grinch! Check out these five perks you can be thankful for:

It may sound corny, but it’s true: The job search is a journey, not a destination. Your interests may change, your skills can transfer, and things may work out differently than you once imagined. I’m a prime example of that.

For instance, I started out in social services, went on to real estate, started volunteering, went back to school for my MBA in healthcare, became a nursing home administrator, and then became part of CareerShift. For me, it was more about the journey — ensuring my interests guided that journey, and finding opportunities that matched where I was at different points in my life.

You may be a college grad who has struck gold. You’ve landed a job right out of school, despite the fact that entry-level jobs are few and far between. There’s one little hiccup, though: You hate your first job.

You’re not alone. Studies show only 2 percent of employees over 40 are working in occupations they planned when they were 18. Sure, on the outside, it may have seemed like nabbing a job immediately after you’ve walked the stage was a huge blessing. You have something to do each day and you can pay your bills. However, you now struggle to stay engaged and dread going into work. What do you do when you hate your job, especially in a job market where landing one is a challenge in itself?

We’ve talked about how tough the job search is. From dealing with career rejection to finding those hidden connections, job searching in the 21st century definitely has its pros and cons. While it’s easy to complain about the job search, today there are tons of resources out there to help. One of the big ones is job searching with social media, which is the topic of Joshua Waldman’s second edition of the book “Job Searching with Social Media For Dummies.”

Halloween is here! Along with visions of pumpkins, lots of sugary candy and awesome costumes, you could be scaring others with your job hunting tactics. Now, I’m not talking about applying to too many positions or calling the hiring manager incessantly during your job search. I’m talking about less obvious reasons why you make mistakes.

Don’t be that scary job seeker this Halloween season. Take off the mask and avoid these mistakes to combat a job search fright fest: