Consider job options
It is important to consider what type of job (or jobs) you will focus on. This will help dictate what type of skills you will need to build upon and update. Think creatively about how you can use your strong foundation of technical skills, as well as new experience while out of tech. Some options to consider:
Return to previous employer, to the original job or a new one
Same type of position previously held in field, or a different one
Think about how you could apply new skills and experience, from your time away from tech, to qualify yourself for some types of technical jobs you haven't done before. For example, project management experience in a non-technical field demonstrates skills required for many technical positions.
Corporate employment
Government jobs, and jobs requiring a clearance
Consulting
Technical contributor, project manager, or technical sales
Start your own small business
Work for a start-up
Teaching at middle-school, high-school or college level
Adjunct faculty at community/technical college - some require only a Master's degree
Home-based telecommuting job: graphic artist, website designer, social media consultant, online tutor, or online teaching
Adult internship to jump start re-entry
Write a book and go on a speaking tour :-)
Project Management
Consider if you want to re-enter in a project management capacity. You may have gained project management skills while not working in a technical field. For instance, entrepreneurship is defined by project management. Volunteer work or work in a non-technical field may have given you project management experience. Also, parenting involves project management, planning and adhering to schedules, and planning and adhering to budgets. Many tech re-entrants have skills and experiences valuable for technical project management jobs, even if they have not worked in that exact role before.
Choosing Career Goals
As a re-entrant, you should identify the types of jobs you are qualified for, and also the kind of career and job you want. Take advantage of your career transition to focus on your long-term career goals. There are many systems that help with career analysis and setting personal career goals. Links to many career analysis tools here. This website helps you do personal SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). The Birkman Method consists of a 298-question personality assessment and a series of related report sets, and might be helpful for your career decisions. An interesting article about the importance of identifying and communicating what you want for your career: You Can’t Get What You Want if No One Knows What It Is: An Engineering Mentor’s Biggest Tip for Career Advancement.
Entrepreneurship
For those considering entrepreneurship, a great place to start gathering information is the U.S. Small Business Administration website. The SBA has special programs and grants for women and minority entrepreneurs. Templates and tools for business planning are available from SCORE website, as well as mentoring and many other resources for the entrepreneur. Entrepreneur online magazine offers a wealth of information, for free. Business planning tutorials and templates are available online and contain vital information for the entrepreneur to give their business the best chances for success. One of many interesting books on the topic: Six Businesses You Can Run from a Tropical Island by Sean Ogle, StartupNation.