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The best way to start on real credit is with an installment loan of some sort - normally an auto loan. Starting out, you either need a great co-signer or prepare to put a ton down and pay a higher interest rate on your own. The reason I say real credit, not just credit, is that what you have is called a "thin file." Your score may be a 820, with with two small credit card accounts and a short time on them, the number is irrelevant and might as well be zero. If the accounts are over limit and the number is a 550, you would be better off with a zero.
First - stop going over limit with them. You don't know when the cards are reporting and therefore don't know what it's doing to your credit.
Second - get some sort of credit account that carries a balance. A CC that you pay off over six months or so is better than one you pay off every month. However, the best is an installment account that takes over a year.
Third - the 25% rule you mention is only really relevant for carried balances. If you have $1000 available and carry a $250 balance you're looking good to the credit agencies. Your score will be higher than someone who carries a zero balance, but the person carrying a zero balance isn't paying interest either - six one way, half a dozen the other.
Unless you have a plan to make a major purchase on credit soon, don't sweat it. Build credit as you need it, and make sure you understand that anything bought on credit will cost you more than if you bought it with cash. That means the new toolbox that Sears has for 0% for 18mos, only use the program if you can pay for it now. They design those plans for the purchaser to fail (one day late - 18%, etc.).
Credit's complicated, but stop going over limit. Now.
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