Recruiters want editable files to put their own logo on or to remove contact details, names, photos. Yes, they are allowed to do that, and it's not uncommon.

@matandked What's stopping you from using an open source text editor like LibreOffice and exporting as both .doc and .pdf?

@Caroline They are allowed to do what you allow them to do. I would not be comfortable with someone editing my CV. But then, I've never needed to work with a recruiter.

@Roland That is your choice, then you don't work with them. I wouldn't either. I understand there could be reasons why they would need to make the resume anonymous, or remove your contact details. Whatever the reason, they require you to send a Word file to be able to work with them, so you choose.

@matandked Compromise is when both parties give up some of their preferences, and agree to meet in the middle. Having the other party accede to your preference is not called compromise.

@matandked “Why they even ask me for editable format of CV?” At the risk of blowing your mind, PDFs are editable too. “Are they allowed to do that (what law says about that)?” I’m not a lawyer, and I don’t know what country you’re in, but I’m going to guess that the law does not give a crap about Word files versus PDF files.

@matandked Reasonable compromise is for me finding a way to create a CV once No, that's your full demand, not a compromise (its exact opposite, to be precise). And I'm in the real world for many years Maybe you are in it but it really seems you are not watching it, not objectively at least.

@Caroline and how are you sure that the only modification is to render your CV anonymous ? What if they add experience (both as skills and as duration) that you not have ?

@Gianluca You don't. Read in the other answers/comments some other examples of modifying they (want to) do. As for making your resume a lie, I don't think a lot of people or companies would want to work with a recruiter that does this. They'll go out of business pretty fast. Not all recruiters are evil.

@Gianluca "What if they add experience (both as skills and as duration) that you not have ?" It does happen, and such recruiters quickly lose both clients and candidates.

@MaskedMan So if OP prefers to use Latex, there is a whole range of formats he can generate from his sources except Word. A compromise would be for the recruiter to choose the one that is most okay for him.

@matandked For the law question I doubt there is a problem. By agreeing to do business with them, you have to agree to their rules. No one is compelling you to do business with them. If in doubt ask at law.stackexchange.com

I love this answer. Especially Welcome to the real world. What kind of non sense is it to think that the potential employer should change what format they receive a CV\Resume in. What total rubbish.

@Neo, except this question also refers to recruiters and honestly, what kind of nonsense is it to think that you should change the format you prepare your CV/resume in for someone who is looking to use it for profit.

@Celos Welcome to the real world. ;-} Sometime if you want a job, you have to compromise.

I think there may be cultural differences kicking in. I'm in Germany where the thought of someone editing someone else's CV is a big no-no. (I've had to hand in a hand-signed and dated CV as recently as last year!) PDF or PDF/A are formats that go well with this idea of CV.

@Neo, asking someone to spend quite a lot of money to get Word (to make a fully formatted CV) might not be a reasonable compromise? If the recruiter will accept potentially-dodgy formatting via LibreOffice, or just want the text to put on their template, or will take a PDF with contact details removed - those all look like reasonable compromises to me.

@Rosemary7391 there are free alternative that can produce a MS Word Document.

@Neo they do exist, such as LibreOffice that I mentioned, but the formatting may get messed up and without the context that might well count against a candidate, no?

@Neo: I do see a huge difference between requiring employees to work in Word (perfectly fine) and a not-even employer requiring me to use Word privately (not OK, intrusion into my private decisions) given that pdf is offered. I'm just trying to imagine what would happen if I told my customers or suppliers that I only accept documents in Word format, no pdf. And it is not as if pdfs were a barely readable format, or as if sentences from a pdf could not be copied into whatever table HR or recruiter generate.

@Rosemary7391 the bottom line really is this. If you want to apply for an opening, you need to submit your credentials in the format specified by the potential employer.

@cbeleites That is folly. Here in the US most HR systems can parse MS WORD and PDF files. It may be different in other countries.

I welcome You to the real world, because Welcome to the Real Rorld is BS. In 10 years of basing my CV on tex, noone ever asked for an editable (Word) edition; if someone would have done so, I'd question his desire for being able to edit the CV and then just move on. It's actually ridicuoulus that you assume that the OP has no real world experience; how do you know that? Or is everyone not realworld who does things different from you?

@phresnel It is common in the US for recruiters to request this so they can add their logo and contact info at the top. It is very common here in the US. And some companies outsource all the initial hiring steps so by not doing this, you are out of the game. YMMV.

@Neo yep, if they insist on that. And they might lose applicants who don't want to deal with the hassle if they're too prescriptive. (Incidentally, I've not come across this either - PDF has always been fine - although I don't have much experience yet).

And, I welcome you a second time to the real world: The "industries" I have worked in never asked for Word documents, either, spanning garbage collection, printing and pure online companies.

@Neo: exactly. And I'd expect any serious recruiter over here (Germany) to be able to work with pdf just as they are able to work with Word. Same for Poland (as OP indicates location in Warsaw).

@phresnel This is specific to the area you live. (Country)

@Neo: In the Real World, there's a whole world outside the US. Maybe I am blind, but I don't see any location in the question, nor in this answer.

"Free Software Zealot", whoa, this answer is really full of ignorance, arrogance and insult. What am I, then? I do my CV in LaTeX for 10+ years already and do well in my jobs. I have my own commercial, proprietary sidehustle which makes me some good money. How did I survive in that Unreal World, without being a Zealot? Holy cow.

FWIW, it's on meta: workplace.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/5276

@SebastianMach perhaps you would like to take a look