Generalist Programs vs. Direct Group Placement for Post MBA Associate

At the post MBA level, the biggest difference between banks seems to be that some have a pool for the first 1-2 years (e.g., MS, Evercore, PJT, Moelis), while the rest do direct group placement (e.g., Goldman, JPM, Lazard, PWP).

I'd be curious to get people's thoughts as to which route that they recommend, for those of us with interest and experience in a particular sector. The generalist programs seem like a huge disadvantage if you already know where you want to go.

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