How Can I Successfully Change Jobs With a 3-Month Notice Period?

I've been working as a React developer for almost 3 years (2 years, 9 months) plus had a 3-month internship. I'm looking to make a career move to a company that offers better mentorship and growth opportunities, but my current job requires a 3-month notice period before leaving.

I'm struggling with a few aspects of navigating this job change given the long notice period:

1. Finding Companies Open to Waiting How do I identify companies that would be willing to wait the full 3 months for me to start after giving notice? When and how should I bring up the notice period requirements during the application/interview process?

2. Getting Referrals My professional network is somewhat limited. What are the best ways to try securing internal referrals to companies I'm interested in, which could help increase flexibility around waiting for my start date?

3. Preparing for Interviews
   Besides the standard technical preparation, what is the best way to practice for and respond to questions about my reasons for leaving my current role after such a long tenure? How can I reassure them I'm committed despite the extended notice period?

4. Evaluating Offers If a company is unwilling to wait the full 3 months, is it worth trying to negotiate a shorter notice period or looking at temporary/contracting roles until I can start full-time? How do I evaluate whether the role is worth that hassle?

I want to be as prepared as possible for this transition, so any advice or suggestions from folks who have gone through a job change with a long notice period would be greatly appreciated! Let me know what you think or if you have any other tips.