Shaping Beards with different Hair Types

A lot of the longer beards posted here have long straight hair. To me that seems pretty easy to shape, just comb it down and it kind of stays there. But, my beard hair is pretty curly. Curly enough that the hair on my cheeks poofs out and will never lie flat. It's so distracting to me that I shaped up my beard the night before a job interview, and the next day the hair on my cheeks and sideburn area poked out and I left my house unhappy with how my beard was looking.

What are the best guides for how to shape, trim, and style your beard? Does my beard hair type actually make a difference, or am I crazy?