Many professional time take some time after giving birth to raising their children. Keeping yourself marketable after a few years of watching nothing but Barney re-runs may prove to be a challenge. Here are some strategies for making your comeback as successful as your initial foray into the business world.

Keep yourself informed. Women who have made a successful comeback after years of professional hiatus have one secret: they've never really been out of the game. You should find a way to keep yourself informed of the changes in your profession. Read trade publications or stay in touch with former colleagues. Work part-time or take some projects from your former employers.

Volunteer. Never forget to expand your skills in your lay-over. Activate that inner activist in you and volunteer in non-government organizations. Do volunteer work in your field and will expand your skills. This will bulk up your resume when you do return to work.

Be your own PR firm. Never underestimate the power of being proud. If you sold the most cookies in a fair or you helped your husband with his business you could call yourself an entrepreneur. If you handled the budget for a non-profit organization, you could bill yourself as a financial consultant.

Network. Nothing beats knowing the right people when it comes to the corporate world. Not working doesn't mean you have to be completely cut off from your colleagues. Give your pitch about what you want to do to everyone you meet. PTA's are an important source of contacts. That soccer mom you know may be married to your potential employer.

Package yourself. Presenting yourself in a good way to your employers will patch up any perceived gap in your resume. Instead of writing a chronology based resume why not write a skill based resume? When the time comes for you to answer the “what do you do” question, you should have an intelligent answer ready. Tell them about your volunteer work. Never apologize for a gap in work experience in your resume. Taking care of kids is not a break or a vacation.

Be Patient. Your first job after your hiatus may not match the salary or prestige of your previous job but this isn't a set back. Besides you may have a different set of priorities now and having the corner office may not seem that appealing anymore. Your second career will be longer that the one you had before.

Confidence is the name of the game. You shouldn't be intimidated by your younger colleagues. Your employer needs your skills and experience. If you just believe in yourself as well as present yourself as a professional and not a mom, then you will have no problems re-adjusting to the corporate life.